Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he and or his Department and the National Roads Authority continue to examine the locations at which numerous accidents have taken place on minor or major roads including motorways throughout the country with particular reference to the frequency of such accidents with a view to identifying the cause or causes and addressing the issues by way of remedial action as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45528/12]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the extent to which he expects to be in a position to provide adequate funding to meet the remedial work arising from the identification of well-known accident black spots on the road throughout the country in the forthcoming year; if a specific programme targeting such locations is likely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45529/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 255 and 256 together.

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 is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Section 19 of the Roads Act.

Noting the above position, I have referred the Deputy's question to the NRA for direct reply.  Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.

With regard to regional and local roads, the improvement and maintenance of these 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 continues to provide funding to local authorities for the Low Cost Safety Improvement Grants Scheme. Grant approval is based on accident data, inspection of sites and targeting locations showing demonstrable hazard which can be improved through engineering measures.  A total of €6.035 million has been allocated to local authorities under this scheme of grants in 2012 for works at 212 locations nationwide. At present, it is my intention to continue this grant scheme into 2013.