Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on the need for his Department to reinstate, partially or wholly, the local improvement scheme in order to remediate the damage caused to roads due to the inclement weather of this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48214/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvements Scheme provided funding for the maintenance and improvement of private roadways which are, in the first instance, a matter for the relevant landowner.

State grants available to supplement expenditure by local authorities on the maintenance of regional and local roads have been reduced significantly and there will be further cuts over the next few years.  The scale of the cuts have necessitated that some grant programmes be curtailed or ended.

In making adjustments to the regional and local roads allocations the primary aim has been, as far as is possible, to protect previous investment in the road network and use the  available funding to maintain and restore public roads, including those in rural areas.  Given that priority, it was not possible this year to assist with any works on private roads.

The feasibility of providing funding to assist with maintenance of private roads will be reviewed in the context of the monies available under the 2013 grant allocations for regional and local roads. In the interim, it is open to local authorities to continue to operate the scheme or a similar scheme from their own resources.