Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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234. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if consideration will be provided to a motion passed by Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District in relation to the need to provide funding towards the upgrading of the R179 - Carrickmacross to Donaghmoyne road, County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9576/15]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The R179 Carrickmacross to Donaghmoyne Road is a regional and local road, the improvement and maintenance of which is the statutory responsibility of Monaghan County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on such 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.  

I announced the 2015 regional and local road grant allocations last month and Monaghan County Council was allocated €7.1m in regional and local road funding this year. No further funding is available.  The three main road grant categories are the Restoration Improvement, Discretionary Grant and the Restoration Maintenance grant programmes. All of these grants are allocated based on the length of regional and local roads within a local authority area.

While Councils could apply in the past for grant funding for certain road improvement projects, budgetary constraints mean that the Specific Improvement Grants Scheme has been curtailed in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work of the road network.

While funding for 2015 has now been allocated it is important to reiterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement Councils like Monaghan County Council in their own resources spending in this area.