James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 77: To ask the Minister for Transport his plans to fund the reinstatement of national, regional and local roads here following the recent weather conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6510/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to my answer to priority Question No. 73 taken earlier.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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In the second budget in April of last year the Minister cut the allocation for the restoration programme for local and regional roads by €80 million. That was a savage cut. Is it not a fact that in the recent budget the Minister cut his allocation again by €325 million? He is very close to over €425 million or €430 million in cuts in funding for roads which are falling apart throughout the country. Does the Minister believe that is an acceptable amount of money, given the massive problems cause by the recent inclement and disastrous weather which has destroyed many roads in the Minister's constituency and mine, and many others throughout the country?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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We have had this political discussion on many occasions. There is a gap of about €25 billion between what we are taking in and what we are spending. Everybody on all sides of the House agreed that cuts had to be made. There is no programme of Government that can be exempt from cuts in the current circumstances. We cannot have it both ways. The Deputies opposite cannot attack the Government because we are spending too much, the gap is too great and the deficit will never be closed while at the same time look for us to continually spend more money on various programmes. We had €411 million this year for the regional and local roads. We will allow maximum flexibility to the local authorities in terms of how they spend that. They will be informed it is to be spent on road repairs. There will be sufficient funding for the repairs outlined in their submissions. However, the local authorities must make that decision and local authority members have to be answerable for it.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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What is the exact role given to the National Roads Authority by the Minister for the management of non-national roads? The authority seems to fall between the local authorities and the Minister. The Minister referred to value for money but what does that exactly mean in this case?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I remind Members that they must switch off their mobile telephones in the Chamber.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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It is in silent mode.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Even in silent mode, a mobile telephone can disrupt. It should be switched off.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Will 2010 be the end of the further development of the inter-urban routes? Will Sligo, Letterkenny, Donegal, Westport and Wexford be allowed go without being part of an inter-urban network?

The Toyota motor corporation has recalled several million of its cars, including the Prius, the official car for the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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This question is on local roads.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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It is related to road safety.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am sure it is but rather tenuously.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Their official cars are Prius. Some of us are concerned that these Green Ministers might be in danger. Are they safe with their sticky pedals and other problems with the Prius? Will the Minister tell us their whereabouts and if they are driving safely?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That question might possibly not be relevant.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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As if we really care about them anyway.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The latest role Deputy Broughan has for me is as a mechanic. There is no end to this man.

The NRA's role is to administer the funding for local authorities for regional and local road networks. This role used to be fulfilled internally in the Department until recently. The same staff will be involved but this time they will be in the NRA. The NRA will also be able to add its expertise to advise me on the best use of the moneys made available to the local authorities.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Will the NRA carry out a performance audit of the local authorities?

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Unit costs across the local authorities vary considerably. The NRA will advise me on best practice and we will try to have it applied across all local authorities. It will also administer the schemes. The local authority will send its proposed schemes to the authority and it, in turn, makes recommendations to me, like my departmental officials used to do.

There was never any question of anything other than the five major inter-urban roads. The next priority is the Atlantic corridor which will link the country from Letterkenny to Waterford.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Minister said that in 2002, some eight years ago.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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In the remaining programmes, there will be major works done on several strategic national primary and secondary routes. There will not be any motorway development as it is not necessary from a traffic volume viewpoint. The road building programme will not be finished but the inter-urban motorways will in accordance with the plans I brought to Government in 1998.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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What is the status of the Leinster outer orbital route, which the Minister supports?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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That is expanding the scope of the question.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I just want an answer on this road project.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am sure the Deputy does. However, I am not sure if the Minister has the information.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I will give him the information when we come to Question No. 78.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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These parliamentary questions were tabled before the Toyota recall.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Broughan, we cannot have open questions. This is a question on local road networks.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Broughan thinks he is dealing with the Minister for Toyota.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I want to make this point to the Minister for Transport. I am a Toyota driver. Has the Minister given any consideration to calling in the Irish Toyota franchise, as the American and English authorities did, to ask what game is it playing with the safety of Irish drivers? That is a serious question addressed to the Minister for Transport.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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It is a serious question but under Standing Orders we do not have a provision for questions without notice. It is a good idea to put that to the reform committee.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Leinster outer orbital route is not included in Transport 21 or the national development plan. It will be considered when either plan is renewed.

It would not be up to the Minister for Transport but for consumer affairs and protection bodies to call in Toyota over its recall.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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It is never the Minister's responsibility.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Department fully co-operated with Toyota Ireland in identifying the owners of the various cars it wanted to recall to ensure their safety.