Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this technical Bill, which transfers the Railway Procurement Agency, RPA, and all its functions to the National Roads Authority, NRA. There will be one less quango as a result of it. A policy objective of the Government was to reduce the number of quangos. In that regard, I welcome the Bill. I hope the NRA will now have scope to be adventurous in devising transport solutions for the 21st century. I understand from some colleagues in Dublin that the suggested rapid bus transport initiative could be a very cost-effective alternative to rapid rail.

This Bill seeks to amend the Roads Act 1993, which outlines the responsibility of road authorities for the maintenance and construction of public roads. As the House will know, there has been considerable damage to roads across the country because of flooding, including in north Tipperary and Clare. It seems the Government devolves funding annually to local authorities to fix roads. The roads are fixed but they are not fixed with any particular regard, or sufficient regard, to drainage, thus causing problems when it rains. It is not entirely unexpected that it might rain in Ireland. It rains every year; it is just a question of how much. When it rains, the same roads need to be repaired again the following year, largely because the drains were not repaired.

Two issues arise from this. First, section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended, sets out the responsibility of road authorities for the maintenance and construction of public roads. It is stated that it is the function of a local authority to maintain and construct all local roads. Section 76 empowers the roads authorities to maintain and install drains etc., but it does not require them to do so. This might be an opportune time to consider requiring road authorities to maintain drains beside roads. Much money could be saved by requiring the opening of drains at the same time as a road is being fixed. I am not suggesting wording for an amendment at this stage but the Department might look into it. Perhaps we will revert to it on Committee Stage.

I am aware that the Department gives considerable grants to local authorities to repair roads, as I mentioned. An inspectorate in the Department used to carry out inspections. Guidelines are issued by the Department on the camber of roads, and a minimum of 3% is stipulated therein. I am not referring to County Clare or north Tipperary specifically. As Members, we travel a lot around the country and note places where there is no drainage whatsoever and where water pools on the roads. Considerable moneys have been spent on these roads. I understand the NRA said it would carry out the functions of the inspectorate but it is no longer doing so. In effect, therefore, there is nobody inspecting local authorities after they receive the money to ensure they carry out the works properly and ensure the proper camber and appropriate drainage. If this were done, considerable State moneys might be saved.

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