Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that I will put as much pressure as possible on the Minister for Finance. I recognise the need for more money for roads. However, I also recognise the fact that there is enormous demand on the national purse and that this is only one example, albeit a very important one. I also recognise that funding for national roads was cut by approximately €6 million, to €31.5 million, in budget 2018 and that the regional-local roads budget was cut by €8.1 million. The Deputy will recognise that the capital funding has increased by €100 million and that the total has increased by €93 million.

As regards the impact of the cuts on regional and local roads, each year 5% of the network has to be strengthened and 5% has to be sealed by way of surface dressing works in order to avoid further deterioration in the condition of the network. This represents 4,700 km under each heading. This year, based on the estimated cost per kilometre of works, it is forecast that local authorities will surface dress approximately 2,300 km and strengthen approximately 2,100 km. Given the importance of surface dressing as an early intervention measure to protect roads and the impact of an €8.1 million cut in current funding for this year, it has been necessary to supplement the current surface dressing budget with capital funds. I do not underestimate the problem. The Deputy is pointing out a real challenge in front of us. We will not reach steady-state levels until approximately 2021.

See this speech in context