Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Transport the funding allocation from his Department for local improvement scheme road projects in County Clare for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9511/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The grants paid to Clare County Council under the Local Improvements Scheme in 2006 and 2007 and the allocation for 2008 are set out in the following table:

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Transport the funding allocation from his Department for community and regional roads projects in County Clare for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9512/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The grants paid to local authorities in county Clare for works on regional and local roads in 2006 and 2007 and the allocation for 2008 are set out in the following table:

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Transport if a specific percentage of all road budgets are designated to the construction of safe walkways and cycle ways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9502/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The provision and improvement of regional and local roads, including facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, in its area is a matter for each individual road authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. Road grants for regional and local roads are allocated annually under a number of grant categories. These include special block grants paid to Town Councils for carriageway and footpath repairs and grants for the provision or repair of footpaths in towns which were former Town Commissioners.

Discretionary or block grants are also allocated to all road authorities which may, at the discretion of the authority, be used for the provision of cycleways and footpaths. In addition, local authorities have been advised that consideration should be given to the provision of facilities for cyclists where warranted on existing roads in urban areas and in the development of new road schemes.

As Minister for Transport I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The implementation of individual national road projects, and decisions as to whether to cater for other forms of transport such as cyclists or to provide for pedestrian traffic, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Act, 1993 in conjunction with the relevant local authorities concerned.