David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has made or will make funding available to local authorities to clean, maintain, replace and put in place road signs across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18190/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The allocation of funding in relation to the construction and maintenance of national roads, including the provision and maintenance of road signage, is a matter for the National Roads Authority.

As regards regional and local roads, statutory responsibility for the provision and maintenance of road traffic signs is a matter for each local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants provided by my Department.

In 2003, a Regional Road Signposting Programme was introduced with the aim of upgrading directional signposts on all significant junctions on all regional roads in county council areas. In 2008, State road grants totalling €7.55 million have been provided for this programme.

Local authorities may also use discretionary improvement and block grants towards the cost of providing signposting on regional and local roads. In 2008, the discretionary improvement grant allocation to County Councils is €24.998 million, and the block grant allocation to City, Borough and Town Councils is €16.133 million.