Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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479. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 173 of 26 October 2016, if it is the case, as the response implies, that his Department does not have estimates of the amount required to maintain the national roads network in a steady state condition each year; his views on whether it is the function of his Department, and under its policy remit, to have knowledge of the overall funding requirements for the national road network, as implied in the reply; and his further views on whether it is worrying that his Department does not have available estimates for the amount which was invested in maintaining the national roads network each year from 2008 to 2016, as stated in the reply. [33505/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​As Minister I have responsibility for road policy and the overall funding framework while TII has operational responsibility for the national road network under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

As outlined by my predecessor in response to Parliamentary Question No. 695 by Deputy Dooley, in line with its policy remit, my Department published the Strategic Framework for Investment in Land Transport (SFILT) in August 2015 and "Background Paper 13: Analysis of Steady State Cost of Transport in Ireland", includes an estimate of the level of expenditure required to maintain the current land transport system in its steady state.  The estimate for national roads in 2015 was €582 million, including €376 million relating to network management, maintenance and renewal works. SFILT and related papers are available on the Department's website.

As the agency with operational responsibility for the network, TII has responsibility for the detailed allocations of the current and capital budget available to it and as part of that process TII undertakes annual condition surveys which feeds into updating its assessment of expenditure needs and priorities.  TII is, therefore, the appropriate body to provide the specific information relating to maintenance sought by the Deputy.