Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. I have asked local authorities to provide details of exceptional road-related costs associated with the recent flooding and prolonged severe weather, which fall outside the normal financial provision for winter maintenance. While some information is still outstanding, the total cost is likely to be only a fraction of the €1 billion referred to by the Deputy. I will assess the returns from local authorities and take this into account when allocating the regional and local road grants for 2010.

The figure of €730 million quoted by the Deputy appears to be taken from an NRA document outlining the allocations to local authorities for maintenance, operation and improvement of national roads during 2010. Copies of the document were placed in the Oireachtas Library last week. I would like to point out that the total funding available to the NRA for national road related work in 2010 is almost €1.16 billion, not €730 million.

Turning to the national roads strategy post 2011, it has been necessary to review the investment priorities across all Departments because of the economic downturn. My Department's Transport 21 priorities for national roads are the completion of the five major interurban motorways, the M50 upgrade and the progression of the Atlantic road corridor. I will also be seeking to maintain the current level of funding for regional and local roads in the years ahead.

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