Written answers

Thursday, 1 October 2015

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Projects

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding will be made available to local authorities to complete design and planning work in respect of upgrading the R178 Dundalk to Cavan strategic route; if he is aware that there is an urgent need to have this road upgraded, given the very heavy volume of traffic, particularly heavy vehicles, and the importance of this route for the further economic development of Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33902/15]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, 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 initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

Cavan County Council was provided with over €2 million between 2007 and 2013 from my Department in connection with this project under the Strategic Non-National Road Grants Scheme in order to bring this 75 km route to preliminary design stage. A further allocation of €100,000 was provided in 2014 to facilitate completion of the preliminary design.

Allocations for 2015 have been made and no further funding is available. Due to budgetary constraints it will not be possible to progress the project further at this point.

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