Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

------and discovered that only a small fraction of that €417 million has been spent by the local authorities. The reason I have been given for it not being spent is that local authorities have not been able to get out on the roads to repair them because of the bad weather. Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is starting to come out, I expect local authorities to begin work immediately on repairing our local and regional roads and to spend the €417 million that has been allocated to them this year for that purpose.

The Government is considering an additional allocation on foot of the storm events and we have asked each local authority to come forward with a costing in that regard. Some have done so and others have not but before we make that additional allocation I would like local authorities to spend the €417 million - €90 million more than last year - that they have been allocated. I understand the weather has been bad and they have not been able to get crews out but the weather is now improving, long evenings are coming and I expect local authorities to get out there, do that work and spend that money.

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