Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of his stated intention to reduce funding for local and regional roads in Budget 2012, the details of any safety audit that has been carried out to ensure that reduced funding will not lead to a less safe environment for motorists. [1565/12]

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 road authority within its area, 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 and may be supplemented by State road grants.

The Department continues to assist Road Authorities with supplementary funding under a range of headings. The main focus of that funding is to assist with the maintenance of the existing road network. Grants also continue to be made available towards Low Cost Safety schemes for which the criteria for grant approval is based on accident data, inspection of sites and targeting locations showing a demonstrable hazard which can be improved through engineering measures.