Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Transport the date on which he will announce the grant allocations of the funding provided for regional and local roads; if this allocation will focus on repair works and maintenance in view of the recent bad weather; the way these considerations will be taken into account in making the allocations and if it will delay these allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4222/11]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities own resources and are supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

The 2011 regional and local road grant allocations will be announced very shortly. 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 different local authorities.

There will be an increased focus on directing funding towards repair and maintenance works with over 85% of

the grant monies available in 2011 to be spent on such works. The amount of money directed towards major new projects will be reduced. Discretion will be given to local authorities to revise their 3-year restoration programmes to assist them in repairing recently damaged roads.