Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the recent NCB report predicting that the number of cars on the road will double to 3 million by 2020, adequate provision has been made for road building to meet this demand. [12327/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The provision and improvement of non-national roads is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants provided by my Department. Responsibility for national roads is a matter for the relevant road authority and the National Roads Authority, which operates under the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Transport.

The National Development Plan 2000-06 commits expenditure of €2.43 billion to non-national roads in the plan period —€1.08 billion in the BMW region and €1.35 billion in the SE region. Expenditure in both regions is well ahead of target for the period up to 31 December 2005. Total expenditure in the period 2000 to 2005 was nearly €2.594 billion against a target of some €2.176 billion.

State aid in 2006 for non-national roads, at almost €558 million, is the highest ever level of funding available and represents a very substantial increase of 13% on last year's record allocation, or an increase of almost €62.5 million. The 2006 allocation also represents an increase of 313% on the 1994 allocation and an increase of 154% on the 1997 allocation. Total road grant allocations to local authorities for each of the years 1994 to 2006 are set out in the following table.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if extra money will be allocated to local authorities for the maintenance of county roads especially in view of the fact that roads have been resurfaced to a high standard but insufficient funds have been made available for the maintenance of inlets and water-tables. [12329/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The improvement and maintenance of non-national roads is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants provided by my Department. It is open to county councils to use their annual restoration improvement grant allocations to finance the provision and improvement of drainage on non-national roads. In 2006, the total restoration improvement grant allocation by my Department to county councils is €205.299 million.

The maintenance of drains on non-national roads may be financed from my Department's discretionary maintenance and block grants. In 2006 the total discretionary maintenance grants to county councils and block grants to urban authorities are €28.7 million and €15.51 million, respectively. Very significant increases have been given to local authorities since this Government came into office in 1997.