Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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248. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of road repairs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27642/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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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.

I am very conscious that the substantial cutbacks in grant funding for roads has had a significant impact on road conditions throughout the country. The reality is that based on the figures in the Capital Plan the roads budget will remain below the level needed to adequately maintain the road network for the next number of years. In these circumstances it is essential that local authorities prioritise road maintenance and renewal when allocating their own resources and that they ensure that value for money is achieved when implementing roadworks.