Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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247. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will allocate funding to Kerry County Council for the R556 regional road from Tralee to Ballyduff (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19963/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area is a statutory function of a local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded from these monies is a matter for each local authority. All available grant funding for 2016 has now been allocated.

When allocating grant funding, my Department has emphasised that the commitment of local authorities to contribute significantly from their own resources towards the cost of improving and maintaining the regional and local roads network is essential.  Full consideration needs to be given to utilising the Local Property Tax to boost own resources expenditure on regional and local road maintenance and renewal.