Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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640. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is a policy whereby when footpaths are being upgraded disabled ramps and a designated parking spot are included in the plans; if there is a specific fund allocated to local authorities to provide disabled parking spots in rural towns in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19400/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The construction, improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each road authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from road authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the relevant road authority, in this case Limerick City and County Council. While there is no specific grant for the provision of disabled parking bays, it is open to road authorities to use the discretionary grant, provided by my Department for regional and local roads, for measures which improve accessibility, including ramps and disabled parking bays.

In my Department's Memorandum on Grants for Regional and Local Roads, road authorities are urged to pay particular attention to the needs of persons with disabilities in planning and executing road works, including the provision of dished kerbs and wheelchair ramps at pedestrian crossing points. Advice regarding the provision of and specifications for disabled parking bays is set out in Chapter 7 of my Department's Traffic Signs Manual.