Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1402: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received a request from Athy Town Council, County Kildare to meet with a deputation to consider the matter of a proposed southern distributor road for the town; if he will accede to this request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18211/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have received no request to meet with members of Athy Town Council. The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, in its area, is a statutory function of each road 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 Council. My Department received an application from Kildare County Council in November 2008 for 100% funding of the Athy Southern Distributor Road. A grant of €150,000 was allocated to the Council in 2011 to allow certain design and planning work on this project to be undertaken. No funding allocation has been made for this project in 2012. All available funding for 2012 has been allocated to local authorities. I am not in a position to give any commitment regarding the provision of further funding for this road in the future.