Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 72: To ask the Minister for Transport if he will report on the 2010 funding allocation for the maintenance and upgrading of non-national and regional roads; if the €730 million allocation to local authorities for the maintenance of national roads represents a decrease in their road maintenance budget by one third; the figure that local authorities have estimated as the bill for roads that were seriously damaged during the recent weather conditions; if the bill for the road repairs will be as much as €1 billion; the amount of extra funding that will be allocated to local authorities; the way he envisages the national roads strategy developing after 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6646/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each road authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. I have asked local authorities to provide details of exceptional road-related costs associated with the recent flooding and prolonged severe weather, which fall outside the normal financial provision for winter maintenance. While some information is still outstanding, the total cost is likely to be only a fraction of the €1 billion referred to by the Deputy. I will assess the returns from local authorities and take this into account when allocating the regional and local road grants for 2010.

The figure of €730 million quoted by the Deputy appears to be taken from an NRA document outlining the allocations to local authorities for maintenance, operation and improvement of national roads during 2010. Copies of the document were placed in the Oireachtas Library last week. I would like to point out that the total funding available to the NRA for national road related work in 2010 is almost €1.16 billion, not €730 million.

Turning to the national roads strategy post 2011, it has been necessary to review the investment priorities across all Departments because of the economic downturn. My Department's Transport 21 priorities for national roads are the completion of the five major interurban motorways, the M50 upgrade and the progression of the Atlantic road corridor. I will also be seeking to maintain the current level of funding for regional and local roads in the years ahead.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

While I accept the €1.1 billion as a total figure, did the Minister not slash the road maintenance figure by €325 million, or one third? In this year of all years following the flooding and the big freeze the Minister has slashed the budget by one third. The Minister has said he has requested a report from the local authorities. When will he get that report? Will he be informed, for example, how many kilometres of regional and local roads have been severely damaged? In other words will he request a total audit of the road situation following the two natural disasters? Would the Minister agree that local authorities are completely in the dark as to what will happen to the maintenance and repair of these roads? It is not just a maintenance issue, as my Fine Gael colleague knows very well. It is also a very serious road safety issue. I remember receiving a call from my colleague Councillor Willie Quinn in Carlow from a crater in the middle of a major road outside Borris. Along with 1,000 councillors throughout the country, he is deeply concerned about the state of the roads. Has the Minister given a deadline to local authorities to go to work to supply the report? What kind of extra funding will be provided?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We asked the local authorities to do this immediately after the end of the severe weather spell and most of them, although not all, have submitted estimates of the damage. We are working on the basis that they have done some type of audit themselves of the roads to arrive at the estimates they have given us. We will work on that basis.

I cannot accept that the local authorities are in the dark. They know exactly what the situation is and-----

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

They told us they were in the dark.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I do not recall them saying that. If they were in the dark they would not have been able to produce the type of figures they have come up with which are-----

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

They have no choice.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Let the Minister answer.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The figures are obviously based, in most cases, on some semblance of audit and reality. That gives us a good basis for clarifying the situation relative to the €1 billion that was being touted by an economist on the radio some months back. I hope his economic statistics are more accurate that his roads' figures. We normally give the local authorities permission to spend the equivalent of 10% of the previous year's allocation in the first few months of the current year before they receive their formal allocation. This year, however, we have allowed them, if they wish, to go as high as 25% of that allocation to deal with the emergency situation.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have three brief final points. When will the Minister announce the budget for the regional roads? The Minister will agree that he will be forever known as the "Minister for snow". Since the catastrophe of the big freeze, has he made any changes to the protocols for clearing footpaths or estate roads? Is there any procedure whereby the country can call a national emergency? What is being done about that?

Finally, regarding road safety and N17, for example, besides a small amount of funding the NRA has announced this year, when will the full works on that road be carried out in Galway and Mayo? When will the Wexford road, the N11, and the Mayo road, the N5, be finished? When will the Sligo road, the N4, be done? The Minister says that 2010 will see the end of the national road building programme. That is a desperate prospect for many commuters all over the country. The Minister has failed a large part, if not all of the island, as the "Minister for snow".

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am always flattered by Deputy Broughan at Question Time. I seem to be Minister for everything, according to him.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Deputy Dempsey is known as the "Minister for snow". Previously he was known as the "Minister for e-machines".

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thought he was trying to give that title to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

That was because the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, was not around.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Allow the Minister to reply.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The roads funding allocations will be done within the next two weeks with the local authorities. We want to leave matters as flexible as possible for the local authorities and we are trying to do this with the allocations.

In relation to clearing footpaths, local authorities do not need protocols from me or anybody else in that regard because that is their responsibility.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

What about householders?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

They all know the situation that arose is being looked at by the local authorities. As regards the national emergency element of the Deputy's question, there are very clear guidelines in relation to what has to happen and who is responsible in the national emergency plan.