Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 390: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the level of funding that has been requested by Cork County Council to address the damage caused to the road network by recent flooding in West Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35788/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In the past few days my Department received a preliminary estimate of the cost of damage caused by the severe weather event of 28th June last. The communication stresses that the figures supplied are estimates and may not be complete.

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 2012 regional and local road grant allocations have now been allocated and there are no further funds available at this time from which an additional allocation could be made. In addition, my Department does not set aside funding in its budget to cover expenditure resulting from severe weather. Instead, local authorities are provided with flexibility, where possible, to amend their Regional and Local Road Grants to accommodate remedial works. I can confirm that I will facilitate any request by Cork County Council to amend its Programme for 2012 to accommodate rehabilitation works on the roads damaged by the recent floods and the deferral to 2013 of less critical works.