Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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679. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding road improvements in an area (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17277/14]

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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681. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding funding in respect of roads (details supplied) in County Kerry. [17337/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 679 and 681 together.

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 Department has allocated a total of €145 million to local authorities for the Restoration Improvement Grant Programme (RI) in 2014. Of this figure a total of €6.55 million has been allocated to Kerry County Council. The selection and prioritisation of works to be undertaken, taking into account available grant funding, is a matter for the local authority. Local authorities do have flexibility in relation to re-prioritising RI schemes as necessary.

It is, therefore, open to Kerry County Council to re-prioritise its RI programme to include these schemes, fund works from its Discretionary Grant or progress such projects through its own resources.