Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the most recent data of annual footfall to each of the destinations which have been recognised by tourist or heritage destination, brown, signs by the National Roads Authority on motorways; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33360/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual road projects, including the provision of signage, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Specifically, the NRA has responsibility under section 19 of the above Act to "prepare or arrange for the preparation of schemes for the provision of traffic signs". In this context the NRA has published a policy document outlining the criteria for erecting tourist signage (brown signs) and setting out the role of the Authority, Fáilte Ireland and local authorities in the signage development process (and reflected in the letter sent to Senator White).

In this regard, I have no function in the collection of statistical data in this area.