Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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502. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he is aware of the problems Bus Éireann drivers are experiencing with icy roads, particularly in County Westmeath; and his plans to ensure a consistent road gritting policy across local authority areas. [3046/16]

Paschal 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. Local authorities are required to have winter road treatment programmes (including salting/gritting of routes) in place and they carry out their operations on a priority basis. The sequence is, national roads, major regional roads and finally, important heavily trafficked local roads. In determining a precise salting/gritting sequence, local authorities take account of various factors including road category, traffic volume, public transport routes and topographical or physical constraints. In this context I would expect Bus Éireann to liaise directly with the Westmeath County Council in relation to any difficulties it is experiencing.