Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the strategies which are in place within his Department to ensure that the needs of an increasing population are taken account of in road planning; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14002/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under section 17 of the Roads Act 1993, the National Roads Authority has a general duty to secure the provision of a safe and efficient network of national roads and for that purpose the authority has overall responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction and maintenance of national roads. The National Roads Authority operates under the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Transport and his Department.

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. There have been significant increases in recent years in the level of State aid provided to local authorities for the improvement and maintenance of non-national roads. 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.