Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 679: To ask the Minister for Transport the strategies he will put in place to continue paying the proportion of maintenance and improvement costs of local and non-national roads in view of the decline in local government finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30003/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The provision and improvement of regional and local roads in their areas is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants.

Road grants for regional and local roads are allocated annually under a number of grant categories. The level of grants allocated to individual authorities is determined each year having regard to a number of factors including the total funds available in a particular year, eligibility criteria for the different grant schemes, road pavement conditions, length of road network, the need to prioritise projects and competing demands from other local authorities. In determining the annual regional and local road grant allocations, the overall objective is to resource each local authority appropriately in relation to their ongoing and specific needs.

Road grants for 2009 will be allocated early in the New Year.