Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 643: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason no funding was allocated by his immediate predecessor to former town commission areas under the footpath restoration programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9548/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is a statutory function of each local authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

A total of €375.176 million has been allocated for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads in 2011. This overall amount is down 9% on the allocations provided to local authorities in 2010 and as a result my predecessor took the view that it was not possible to make special block grants for footpath repairs for 2011. Instead, over 85% of the grant monies available this year is being directed towards repair and maintenance works arising in particular from the impacts of the severe weather. I intend to review the overall position in time for the 2012 allocations.