Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total funding to the National Roads Authority in 2012; the year on year reduction in funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54860/12]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the discussions he has held with the National Roads Authority on their road repair programme; the funding for the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54861/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 169 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 allocated budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects, including road maintenance, is a matter in the first instance for the NRA in accordance with Sections 17 & 19 of the Roads Act. My Department's funding allocation to the NRA for 2012 is €734.6 million, including €605 million for capital projects (€674m in 2011) and €42.26 million (€48.9min 2011) for maintenance of national roads.  The balance relates to contract payments to PPP companies and the cost of running the Authority.

In line with the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Framework 2012-2016 and the outcome of the comprehensive current spending review last year, the NRA's capital budget in 2013 will be €278m while the road maintenance budget next year will be €41.6m. I meet with the CEO and the Chairman of the NRA on a regular basis, while my Department has ongoing contacts with the NRA at all levels. The scale of the reductions in the allocations to the NRA obviously will present challenges over the course of 2013. Therefore, the key priority is the protection of the existing investment in road infrastructure as against major new expenditure on road design or building. This is a view shared by both myself and the NRA.