Seanad debates
Tuesday, 5 December 2023
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Road Network
11:00 am
Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State is very welcome. The issue of the underfunding of local and regional roads has been raised consistently by councillors in Cavan and Monaghan and in many other parts of the country. In County Monaghan we are quite unique in that we do not have any multinationals, but, fortunately, we have many people who have created their own employment through indigenous enterprises across sectors like agriculture, agrifood and engineering. It is a unique situation in that many of these small businesses are located up small boreens which, in turn, connect to regional roads and national roads. Our small and medium enterprises are particularly dependent on the road network to get their goods to and from the marketplace, so it is critical that we have a proper network to enable them to do that. These small enterprises typically employ between five and ten people and are absolutely crucial to the local economy in Monaghan. Monaghan and Cavan, like many other counties, have large proportions of their populations living in rural areas. Parents taking their children to school in the morning and people travelling to and from work are travelling on the same substandard roads as many of the aforementioned local enterprises.
I have no doubt that I will be told that we have received funding down through the years. I fully accept and appreciate that, but, unfortunately, the funding we have received, because of inflation among other things, is just not stretching as far as it needs to stretch. As the Minister of State knows, Cavan and Monaghan do not have rail access and are totally dependent on road infrastructure. To put things into perspective and to give the House facts as opposed to opinions, a recent national study of the local and regional road network found that County Monaghan has 300 km of regional roads, 11%, or 33 km, of which are in the poorest category and are showing signs of severe structural failure. Furthermore, of the 550 km of local primary roads in the county, 12%, or 66 km, are of the poorest standard while 25%, or 225 km, of the 1,020 km of tertiary roads are showing signs of severe structural failure.In one particular municipal district, MD, namely, Carrickmacross-Castleblayney, and indeed Ballybay-Clones, more than 35% of the road network is in the poorest category, making it one of the worst MDs in the country for road infrastructure. These categories highlight the unique situation Monaghan finds itself in.
It is estimated that approximately €5.8 million in additional funding is required annually to the current restoration improvement budget, which was €7.6 million in 2023. This is simply to maintain the road network in its current condition. It is a false economy, as I am sure the Minister of State will agree. If we continue to let these roads decline, it will take more revenue down the road, so to speak - excuse the pun – to put these roads to the standard everyone requires.
In Monaghan, Cavan and many other rural counties, such as, I am sure, the Minister of State’s home patch of Westmeath, local roads are essential. It is the only show in town because we do not have rail or an adequate bus service. We are absolutely, totally dependent on the local road network. I plead with the Minister of State for a substantial increase to be given this year to local road funding in Cavan, Monaghan and other counties that require it because it is essential in order for people to travel about their daily business.
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Gallagher for his Commencement matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who cannot be this morning because he is at Cabinet. I fully agree with the Senator's sentiments that local, national and primary roads are so important in terms of the infrastructure for local communities.
As the Senator is aware and as is outlined in the national development plan, the Government is strongly committed to protecting the existing regional and local road network. This network is fundamental to connecting people and places across the country. It facilitates businesses, education, tourism, healthcare, agriculture and the provision of critical services and activities. The network requires significant annual funding to ensure it remains fit for purpose, safe and resilient to the impacts of climate change. As such, €626 million was allocated to regional and local roads in 2023, with approximately 90% of this funding being directed towards maintenance and renewal works.
The regional and local road grants support local authorities in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities under the Roads Act 1993 to improve and maintain their regional and local roads. The grants are provided to supplement local authorities' own resources, with each local authority responsible for selecting and prioritising road works within their region and for managing their own budgets. In this regard, in 2023, Cavan County Council received more than €18.1 million of State grant assistance while Monaghan County Council received just under €17.4 million. The allocation of grant funding is made on as fair and as equitable a basis as possible.
There are three main regional and local road grant programmes that account for most of the grant funding available to local authorities: first, a restoration maintenance grant which targets investments into pavement sealing works to protect the road surface from water damage; second, a restoration improvement grant which supports road strengthening works to lengthen the life of the road; and third, a discretionary grant which allows for a range of activities, including pothole repairs, edge strengthening, renewal of signs and lines, and winter maintenance. Funding for these grant types is allocated based on the length of the road network within a local authority's area of responsibility with some account taken of traffic. It is envisaged that grants will continue to be made available on this basis because it is the most equitable approach.
An array of other grants are also available to local authorities aimed at maintaining and renewing key elements of the overall regional and local road network, including safety and bridge programmes, drainage works, climate adaptation measures, community involvement projects and the maintenance of former national roads. Furthermore, there is a limited budget of €70 million in 2023 for investment in new roads or new improvement schemes. The Minister of Transport appreciates that, within the overall parameters set for the grant programmes, local authorities might need to target funding at particular problem areas. There is sufficient flexibility in the structure of the grant programme to allow for this. As Senator Gallagher will be familiar, each local authority must allocate its own resources to priority areas as needed.
To assist local authorities in managing their own road network, the Department has supported the development of a road asset management system called MapRoad.MapRoad allows local authorities to catalogue the road pavement condition of each road in their region. This information can then be used to prioritise, schedule, and manage maintenance and renewal works. In summary, Exchequer funding for regional and local roads is intended to supplement realistic contributions from local authorities’ own resources. As the statutory road authorities for their areas, each local authority must prioritise investment towards regional and local roads as needed. The Department of Transport has provided MapRoad to assist in this process.
Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response and I appreciate that he is reading a response he received from the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. Unfortunately, the content of it does not inspire me or offer me much hope with regard to roads funding. I ask respectfully that the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, bring a message back to him on behalf of the people of Monaghan and Cavan and indeed many other parts of rural Ireland. It is that the local road network is the only show in town we have to get from A to B. Up to this point the funding we were getting, although welcome, was not adequate to address the serious issues we have. Now the fact is that we have a survey that is nationally recognised and that shows of the 1,020 km of local tertiary roads 25% of them show severe structural failure. That is 255 km, and in the Castleblayney-Carrickmacross municipal district, MD, 35% of that total is in a category that is classified as being one of the worst in the country.
Regarding funding to the local authorities, if they are given the funding they will spend it. They need to get it, first of all, in order to be in a position to spend it. I respectfully request the Minister of State take a message back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan that we need more funding and we respectfully request more funding because it is so badly needed. I thank the Minister of State.
Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this Commencement matter and I will take his message back firmly to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I will point out that in 2023 an additional €22.5 million was allocated for issues related to inflationary costs and damage to regional and local roads. That is to point out that those roads take 55% of our traffic nationally which is a very significant portion. In that region, Cavan received €687,500 and Monaghan received €580,000. I do firmly take the Senator's point about investment in roads. I know, being from a large rural constituency, how important that is to me in terms of ensuring communities have the best and safest possible roads. One of our big challenges is the N4 network that we are trying to bring to motorway status right down to the west which is a major artery. We are working hard with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to deliver this. As a Government we really need to prioritise this and ensure there is investment in our roads to make them safe and to reduce accidents on them.
Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State and I thank Senator Gallagher. This is a very important Commencement matter. Coming from a large rural county myself I fully understand the challenges. It is extremely important we maintain our roads because if we do not continually invest in our roads they will just disintegrate and become a much bigger problem going forward. It is important that the investment at least keeps up with inflation and it really should be much better because we are catching up after the years of recession when there was very little scope within the roads budget.