Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

They know what has happened in recent weeks. Everyone here today knows the importance of the road network in supporting the economic and social fabric of the country. The challenge for Government in recent years was how to address the very real concerns about the condition of the network while operating within severe fiscal constraints and dealing with the many competing demands for limited resources.

Deputies will argue that the financial crisis is well in the past but I must emphasise once again the major impact on the maintenance and improvement of our national, regional and local road network of the funding cutbacks after 2008, associated with the recession. Overall funding dropped from €2.3 billion in 2008 to €753 million in 2015. It will take a long time to recover from this.

As the motion notes, analysis undertaken by my Department for the Strategic Framework for Investment in Land Transport, published in 2015, estimated on a conservative basis that expenditure of €580 million per annum is needed to keep the regional and local road network in a steady-state condition. In order to avoid deterioration in the condition of the regional and local road network, each year 5% of the network needs to be strengthened and 5% needs to be sealed by way of surface-dressing works.

The reality is that expenditure is still falling short of that. For the national road network the steady-state analysis includes the cost of pavement works, signs and lines, safety works, bridge works, routine maintenance, small works, and costs associated with programme support and network management. In addition to these network costs, there are also capital budget commitments requiring provision to be made for schemes at closeout and construction, and also for ongoing commitments in respect of PPP projects. The analysis conducted determined that, on average, the gross steady-state requirement for national roads is approximately €580 million per annum, using 2015 as the basis.

Against the backdrop of funding constraints, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and my Department have been focused on maintaining the network in as serviceable a condition as possible. In the case of regional and local roads this has meant concentrating resources on the maintenance and renewal of the public road network rather than new projects. The main grant programmes operated by the Department have been targeted at specific policy objectives - pavement sealing to protect the road surface from water damage and road strengthening based on pavement condition rating to lengthen the life of road pavements, and a discretionary grant which allows for a range of activities including pothole repairs, edge strengthening, renewal of signs and lines, and winter maintenance. These three grant programmes account for most of the grant funding and are allocated based on the length of the road network in a particular local authority area.

Local authorities can also apply each year for bridge rehabilitation grants based on condition ratings and for safety improvement schemes to address particular hazards.

As State grants are intended to supplement local authority funding, my Department continues to emphasise to local authorities the importance of prioritising roads maintenance when allocating their own resources. Since the revision of the arrangements for the retention of local property tax in 2015, the Dublin councils no longer receive any grant assistance from my Department under the main grant categories. In this context while the motion correctly refers to the fact that €580 million is required each year to maintain the regional and local network in a steady-state condition, it states that there is a funding shortfall of €163 million given my Department's total allocation of €417 million this year.

However, the shortfall is less when account is taken of funding from the resources of councils. Having acknowledged the very real pressures on the road network, it is also important to look at the progress that is being made. With regard to current funding levels, the Building on Recovery capital plan for 2016 to 2021 marked a significant step forward in restoring funding to the levels needed to maintain the road network in a steady-state condition and allowing for some investment in road improvement schemes. In this context, the capital plan provided for a gradual build up in capital funding from a relatively low base in 2016 towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. This plan recognised that it was going to take time to restore funding to the level required to maintain and renew the network adequately.

As Minister, I put forward a strong case for additional investment in transport infrastructure during the capital plan review process and I have secured a significantly enhanced road investment programme for the period 2018 to 2021. Overall, an additional €486 million was secured for roads, bringing total roads investment for that four-year period to €4.26 billion. With this increase, I will be able to support a package of extra measures including minor improvement works, drainage works and community involvement programmes together with the assessment of potential future projects. Last month, I announced a 29% increase in grant funding for regional and local roads. One would think that nobody here had ever heard of that. The grant allocations include an 18% increase for the key road strengthening programme. I have also taken important initiatives in the area of community involvement schemes and drainage. While local authorities were able to use general grants for such schemes in recent years, ring-fenced funding is being provided this year. These are two areas where I am very glad to be able to take action this year. I fully recognise that there needs to be an increased focus on measures to improve the resilience of the road network in the face of climate change and I envisage that a separate drainage grant will continue in future years.

The size of the road network, at around 99,000 km, twice the European average per capita, will always generate funding pressures for both the Exchequer and local authorities. This means there needs to be a focus on managing resources as effectively as possible. In this context, I wish to clarify the position regarding the basis for the figures published in the National Oversight and Audit Commission performance reports mentioned in the motion. My Department has been supporting the development of a road asset management system for regional and local roads over the last number of years. The Road Management Office, RMO, has been established as a shared service between 31 local authorities. The RMO and the Department have been working with local authorities to ensure that the MapRoad pavement management system includes an up-to-date road schedule of public roads, a record of all pavement-related works, information on road surface types and road pavement conditions.

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