Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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26. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the extremely poor state of the road paving in Dublin city centre; if there is a moratorium on road repairs in Dublin city centre during the Luas cross city works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21532/14]

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

On the small number of streets where the Luas works are being undertaken, major pavement reconstruction works on these streets will take place at the end of the Luas Cross City construction works during 2016 and 2017.  However, all necessary road repairs along these streets are being undertaken in the intervening period. 

On all of the other streets not impacted by the Luas works, which is obviously the majority of streets in the city centre area, there is no moratorium on road repairs arising from the Luas Cross City project.

Earlier this year I announced that €331.9 million was being allocated to local authorities under the regional and local road grants investment programme. Dublin City Council was allocated €5.8m for regional and local roads in 2014.

It is important to re-iterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement local authorities in their spending in this area.