Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lawlor for raising this matter. As he is aware, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in County Kildare is the statutory responsibility of Kildare County Council in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Work on such roads is funded from the council’s own resources, supplemented by allocations made directly from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the council. Ireland has just under 100,000 km of roads in its network. The maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a significant financial burden on local authorities and the Exchequer. Due to the national financial position, there have been large reductions in the amount of Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure over recent years. Funding for the national, regional and local road network was €2.3 billion in 2008, but it is just €760 million this year. In light of the challenging financial climate, the specific improvement grants scheme was curtailed to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work. It is important to reiterate that the purpose of Exchequer funding is to supplement the resources of each local authority. I have been emphasising to local authorities the importance of prioritising expenditure on roads when they are allocating their own resources, including local property tax receipts. The capital plan that will run from 2016 to 2021 provides for a gradual build-up in capital funding for the road network towards the levels that are needed to support maintenance and improvement works. The primary focus in the next few years will continue to be on road maintenance and renewal rather than new projects.

I announced the 2015 regional and local road allocations on 3 February last. Some €10.7 million was allocated to Kildare County Council. The council received an additional €799,900 in restoration improvement funding in July of this year. All available funding for this year has now been allocated. I am aware that Kildare County Council has published a document, Feasibility Report for River Crossings of the River Liffey and Associated Traffic Management Requirements in Celbridge, that was prepared for it by RPS Consultants. I believe that is the report to which Deputy Lawlor has referred. I understand that the council commissioned this study to explore river crossing options and traffic management arrangements that could alleviate traffic congestion in Celbridge and that the report identifies short-term traffic management options and a longer-term new river crossing option for further study and evaluation. Local authorities are aware that it is a matter for each council to determine its priorities and to allocate funding accordingly. Therefore, it is a matter for Kildare County Council to decide how best to address the findings of this report and to allocate its own resources to the further evaluation of options if it considers that appropriate.

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