Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am just making the point that the Minister could have contacted me in relation to Bus Éireann.

There has been a critical underinvestment in the maintenance of regional and local roads since 2012. The funding allocation for 2017 is still far below the level required to maintain regional and local roads across the country. Over the past four years, spending on roads in each county from 2013 to 2016 was, on average, 48% below what was needed to keep roads in good condition. That is according to the steady-state estimate from the Minister's own Department. As the Department itself has outlined, as approximately €580 million is required annually to keep our roads in good condition, this means current underspending is on average €258 million a year. This will result in many more roads being left in poor condition.

The Minister complimented himself on an increase in funding this year. To be fair to the Department, I acknowledge the good investment in roads infrastructure in particular to help the Centre Parcs development in Longford. However, when one compares the funding in 2017 with the initial funding in 2016, there has been a reduction of €43 million. The Minister is not accounting for the fact that there was a supplementary budget during the year of €95 million to make allowances for the bad weather and flooding. As such, it is a little bit disingenuous of the Minister to say there has been an increase.

One of the areas where this has fallen down is the local improvement scheme. The Minister alluded to the fact that local authorities can use their own discretionary budgets to fund local improvement schemes. However, many local authorities do not have that capacity. It is a regrettable step because a small amount of money, even of the order of €4.5 million, would have made a huge difference to many local authorities. It states in the programme for Government that the Minister will reintroduce the local improvement scheme. Perhaps he might be able to indicate to the House when he plans to do so as per the programme.

An area in which the Department is not being forceful enough and in which it is not taking sufficient action is the underinvestment in transport infrastructure. Our level of capital spending in comparison to the rest of Europe places us second lowest. Despite having Europe's fastest growing population, spending on infrastructure is half what it was seven years ago. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, has the Minister, Deputy Ross, had any consultations with the European Commission about availing of the Juncker plan to borrow at a low interest rate to make critical investments in our infrastructure? Perhaps the Minister will respond to that point in the wrap-up.

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