Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

733. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if specific funding has been allocated to Cavan County Council in respect of a project (details supplied); the level of funding provided for 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16648/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities 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.  

The Specific Improvement Grants Scheme is being curtailed from 2014 onward in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work.  In lieu of the Specific Improvement Grant Programme, applications were sought for minor bridge repair works (which is a subset of the current Specific Grant Programme) for 2014. Cavan County Council applied for funding for eleven projects under this grant category, two of which were approved for funding, including Corroneary Bridge with an allocation of €150,000 for same in 2014. It is also important to reiterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement Councils like Cavan County Council in their own resources spending in this area.