Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 76, 89 and 91 together.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, including the cost of winter maintenance, are a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. The amount of money provided in the 2011 Estimates for funding national roads is €852.6 million.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources and are supplemented by State road grants, which are inclusive of a weather risk factor. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

My role in addressing damage caused to the road network is in disbursing the amount of money provided in the 2011 Estimates for funding regional and local roads, that is, €374.576 million, in the most equitable and targeted manner possible.

I will announce the 2011 regional and local road grant allocations shortly.

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