Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Transport the funding he has provided to local authorities for the provision of gritting; if he has been in contact with local authorities in 2008 regarding gritting; if so, when; if he is satisfied that all the stakeholders who are responsible for ensuring safe driving conditions during the winter months have acted appropriately; if he has communicated warnings to any of the stakeholders in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46633/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Roads Act 1993, the maintenance of roads, including winter maintenance, is a statutory function of each individual road authority. This work is funded out of each authority's own resources, supplemented in the case of regional and local roads by discretionary and block grants allocated annually by my Department. In the case of national roads, funding for maintenance, which includes the gritting of roads and other safety-related work in winter, is provided by my Department to the National Roads Authority which allocates it among the local authorities.

Local authorities are advised that they should set aside contingency sums from these resources to finance works necessitated by severe weather conditions. In 2008, the total discretionary maintenance grant allocated to county councils by my Department was €29.56 million and the total block grant allocated to urban authorities was €16.133 million. The maintenance grant by my Department to the NRA for allocation to local authorities in 2008 was €58.21 million. This includes provision for winter maintenance, forecasting and monitoring of weather conditions.

Local authorities are regularly reminded by my Department of their responsibilities in relation to winter maintenance of roads. During 2008, the matter was brought to the attention of local authorities on 5 February and again on 10 December.

Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I listened to the Minister on the radio last week. He said, rightly, that we have not had road conditions such as we have had in the past few weeks for a number of years. Many new drivers are not experienced in these conditions. I doubt there is a Deputy in this House who has not had many complaints in respect of our smaller roads, particularly those roads that were not maintained over the past number of years. We know our major roads are safer.

Is the Minister happy that the allocation he gave in 2008 is being used? There is a difference. If I contact local authorities in different areas some will claim, behind the scenes, that they are not funded properly. The Minister states that his Department funds them properly. Can the Minister clarify that all the county councils got the same money this year as they received last year?

We are coming near to the end of the year, and, please God, the Department can be proud of one thing, namely, that deaths are down. The Minister knows he has the backing of everybody in the House for every measure he takes in that regard. However, I am deeply concerned about the condition of our roads at present. I am concerned that funding is not being used specifically to grit roads if they continue to be in the same condition.

There is a serious problem throughout the country with regard roads that are newly tarmacadamed. They then have six-inch deep curves on their edges. I am aware of one road where there were four accidents last week due to non-maintenance of road edges.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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To my recollection, and I may be corrected, the amount of money provided under this heading at the beginning of 2008 was an increase on the figure given in 2007. There was no reduction in funding. The grants we give for roads are meant to supplement local authorities' own resources. If the authorities feel they have not got an adequate amount in the grant they receive from us, they should put money from their own resources towards it. That is the situation as it is supposed to be.

I agree with the Deputy there appears not to be the same amount of gritting on minor roads. That is my experience and I hear the same from colleagues on all sides of the House. Perhaps the reason is that it is a long time since we had such a prolonged cold spell. Judging from the level of complaints we have heard, there has not been the same level of gritting as previously. The responsibility lies with local authorities and it is one they should take very seriously. I know the Deputy made that point publicly and I agree with it.