Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, in which I know he has a great and persistent interest. It has registered on my radar because he has spoken to me about it both privately and publicly. I am grateful to him for doing so.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding for the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in conjunction with local authorities concerned. Ireland has just under 100,000 km of road in its network and the maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads places a substantial financial burden on local authorities and on the Exchequer. As a result of the national financial position, there were very large reductions in the Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure after the financial crisis. For this reason the focus has had to be on maintenance and renewal rather than new improvement projects in recent years and I envisage that this emphasis on maintaining assets together with safety measures will continue into the next capital plan period. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual national projects is a matter for TII, in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act.

I understand from Transport Infrastructure Ireland that Cork County Council recently completed a pavement improvement scheme at Ballyvergan, on the N25 close to Youghal, which involved the overlay of the existing pavement. In addition, the council is completing the N25 Killeagh pavement scheme which involves pavement improvements and associated works through Killeagh village. The N25 Castlemartyr pavement scheme which has been put out to tender will involve pavement improvements and associated works on the N25 through the east side of Castlemartyr village and beyond. It is anticipated that the project will go to construction in 2018. I understand, in addition, that the council is starting design works on a number of pavement improvement schemes on the N72, primarily between Mallow and Fermoy.

Cork County Council, as the statutory roads authority, is responsible for regional and local road maintenance and improvement in the county. Funding is provided from the council's own resources, supplemented by grants. In 2017 the Department allocated €36 million to the council. We have been emphasising to all councils the importance of prioritising expenditure on roads when allocating their own resources, including local property tax receipts. Apart from a requirement that a minimum of 15% of maintenance and renewal grants be expended on regional roads, local authorities decide on allocations for regional and local roads in their areas. As such, allocations to individual municipal districts within a county are a matter for the council. Grant allocations for 2018 will be announced early next year and, in line with overall allocations in the capital plan, there will be a significant increase in funding.

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