Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a request was received by the National Roads Authority from a local authority in relation to a road scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11849/12]

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.

In July last year the National Roads Authority (NRA) invited applications for consideration for funding in 2012 under the Specific Improvement Grants Scheme. Local authorities were reminded that funding requested should not exceed the previous year's allocation. In the case of Mayo County Council, funding was sought for 16 schemes totalling €6,395,000 which was considerably in excess of the allocation the Council received in 2011 - €1,350,000.

While the list of projects submitted to the NRA included a scheme on the R319 at Tonragee, this project was ranked eighth in the council's list of priorities and was not, therefore, submitted to my Department for consideration for funding due to the overall allocation limits. Five projects submitted for consideration for funding did receive an allocation totalling €1.56 million.

It is open to Mayo County Council to prioritise this project and to submit it for funding under the 2013 Specific Improvement Grants Scheme when applications are sought later in year. Alternatively, the Council may fund this project through its own resources.