Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Transport the full extent of funding provided by his Department and spent by each local authority on the county roads structure on a local authority basis annually over the past five years to date in 2009; the extent of funding provided for this purpose through the National Roads Authority; the extent to which his Department remains accountable to Dáil Éireann; the degree to which the proposed funding is sufficient to meet the requirements as set out by the various local authorities for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36004/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I have set out the details regarding regional and local road grants provided by my Department to local authorities from 2005 to 2008 in the table below together with the road grant allocations made by my Department in 2009. No regional and local roads grants for the period 2005 to 2009 have been or will be paid to local authorities covering this period by the National Roads Authority. The NRA will begin the administration of these grants from the start of 2010.

The greatly increased State funding provided for regional and local roads over the last decade, together with local authority own resources, has resulted in a vast improvement in the condition of those roads.

From 1st September last, the National Roads Authority was tasked with undertaking certain functions relating to regional and local road grants on behalf of my Department. This was done on foot of an agreement negotiated by officials of my Department and the NRA and approved by me and the Board of the Authority. A copy of the agreement has been lodged with the Dail Library.

The new arrangement was concluded on an administrative basis so as not to affect my statutory role or that of the local authorities in any way.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads remains the statutory responsibility of road authorities under section 13 of the Roads Act 1993 and is not affected by the new administrative arrangements. The NRA is not being given any new statutory powers similar to those it has in relation to national roads.

Under section 82 of the Roads Act the Minister for Transport is empowered to pay grants to road authorities and under this power I allocate regional and local road grants to these authorities each year to supplement expenditure from their own resources. This power is also unaffected by the revised administrative arrangements and I will continue to decide on grants policy and on the grant allocations to each individual road authority.

This decision was taken on grounds of administrative efficiency, particularly in circumstances where there is increasing pressure on staffing and financial resources. It makes sense to use one organisation to administer all road grant payments and to monitor the expenditure of these road grants.

Because there is no change in my statutory power I will continue to be accountable to the Oireachtas as at present and will continue to reply to Parliamentary Questions on regional and local road grants.

Table