Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would argue that the Department of Rural and Community Development has no statutory responsibility for roads. When Deputy Ó Cuív was Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the CLÁR funding was a top-up in addition to the local improvement scheme funding that came directly from the Department of Transport at that time. We need to have investment to reduce, in a meaningful way, the huge backlog. In my county of Cavan, our council is dealing with applications that were submitted in 2009. With the present level of funding for the existing applications, it will take 35 years to repair those laneways. That is not acceptable for any community and it is not acceptable for any individual or family living along a road in such poor condition. I ask the Minister to ask the Department to review this matter again. The funding that comes from the Department of Rural and Community Development is welcome but it is not near enough. The Department of Transport is the main Department with responsibility for roads and I implore the Minister to take responsibility back and to put in place adequate funding.

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