Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the strategy in place to ensure the network of roads where new housing estates are developed can accommodate the increased demand of the local population; the role of the development levy for infrastructural development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42480/06]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will significantly increase funding for road restoration due to the significant increase in vehicles on the roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42566/06]

Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 137: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will significantly increase funding to local government in view of the significant local road deterioration due to major housing and other economic development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42565/06]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of funding provided by his Department for non-national roads for each of the years 1994 to date in 2006; and the progress made to address deficiencies in the non-national road network. [42626/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 102, 137 and 165 together.

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 provision, 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 almost €419 million, or over 300%, on the 1994 grant payment and an increase of almost €332 million, or almost 150%, on the 1997 grant payment.

Details of total non-national road grants paid by my Department for each of the years 1994 to 2005 and the initial allocation for 2006 are set out in the following table:

As regards my Department's pavement restoration programme, the results of a Pavement Condition Study on non-national roads, which was carried out by consultants and completed in 2005, show that there has been a very large growth in traffic volumes, including numbers of heavy goods vehicles, on our roads over the last 10 years and that the combination of growth in traffic volumes and damaging power has dramatically increased the structural loading on the non-national roads network. The study concludes that the economic boom, since the first study was carried out in 1996, has fundamentally changed the loading regime on the non-national roads network, with much higher and more frequent loading by heavier vehicles now being the norm.

The rate of occurrence of potholes and road disintegration has effectively halved since 1996 as a result of the €1.5 billion investment in Restoration Improvement and Maintenance works over the 1997 to 2004 period. However, the instance of other defects, such as rutting and edge cracking, has increased since 1996 as a result of growth in traffic on the network — particularly that of heavier and wider commercial vehicles.

On foot of the findings of the study, I have increased the grants available for Restoration Improvement works to €205.3 million in 2006, which is an increase of over €31 million, or almost 18%, on the 2005 allocation. This very substantial increase means that significant progress can be made in allocating funds to address the deficiencies identified by the Pavement Condition Study. I have also allocated grants totalling €75 million for Restoration Maintenance works this year. This represents an increase of €15 million, or 25%, on the 2005 allocation. I intend to announce non-national road grant allocations for 2007 early in the new year.

Insofar as development levies are concerned, under section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities may levy development contributions in respect of public infrastructure and facilities, provided by or on behalf of a local authority, that benefit development in the area, based on a scheme of contributions adopted for the area. The types of public infrastructure that can be funded by a development contribution scheme are:

the acquisition of land,

the provision of open spaces, recreational and community facilities and amenities and landscaping works,

the provision of roads, car parks, car parking places, sewers, waste water and water treatment facilities, drains and watermains,

the provision of bus corridors and lanes, bus interchange facilities (including car parks for those facilities), infrastructure to facilitate public transport, cycle and pedestrian facilities and traffic calming measures,

the refurbishment, upgrading, enlargement or replacement of roads, car parks, car parking places, sewers, waste water and water treatment facilities, drains or water mains and

matters ancillary to the above.

Based on information supplied to my Department by local authorities, €90.3 million of development contribution monies were applied to roads and car-parking in 2005. The equivalent figures for 2004 and 2003 were €70.2 million and €46.6 million, respectively.

The National Roads Authority, which operates under the aegis of my colleague the Minister for Transport, has overall responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction, improvement and maintenance of national roads.