Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will request from each of the local authorities the percentage of the annual roads maintenance budget that is spent on payroll; if he will confirm the best practice target; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10118/13]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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 initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

My Department’s role is the provision of grants with guidelines for their application.  Among the guidelines provided to local authorities is a Memorandum on Grants for Regional and Local roads.  This memorandum outlines the allowable road worker labour costs which may be charged against the State Road Grants, namely basic pay, overtime, employers' P.R.S.I. contributions and acting up allowance.  An overhead charge of 38.5% is also allowed as a percentage add-on to the basic pay element of relevant road workers/non-officer grades only.  This standard overhead percentage includes for superannuation, holiday pay, sick pay and all allowances.