Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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495. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the total amount allocated to the local improvement scheme in 2017 in view of the programme for Government commitment to have the scheme up and running by end 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40794/16]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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499. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the capital expenditure used to date in 2016 and the amount allocated in 2017 towards local and regional roads 2016 in view of the programme for Government commitment to increase this budget by approximately 50%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40801/16]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 499 together.

​ 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 the Authority's 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.

The Capital Plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. The transport element of the plan was framed by the conclusions reached in my Department's Strategic Investment Framework for Land Transport. This report highlighted the importance of maintenance and renewal of transport infrastructure together with targeted investments to address particular bottlenecks and critical safety issues. The Capital Plan provides €6 billion for investment in the roads network in the period to 2022, with €4.4 billion earmarked for the maintenance and strengthening of the existing extensive network throughout the country and €1.6 billion for new projects.   

As Minister I have to work within the annual allocations set out in the Plan and in this context the Capital Plan provides for a gradual build up in capital funding towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. While there will be a modest increase in funding for regional and local roads in 2017, it will take some years yet under the Capital Plan to restore "steady state" funding levels for land transport. The primary focus will have to continue to be on the maintenance and renewal of public roads. I do, however, expect that local authorities will continue to be able to use a proportion of their Discretionary Grant for the local improvement scheme in 2017.

The regional and local road grant allocations for next year have yet to be decided but I expect to announce the details early next year. Given funding constraints, my objective has to be to allocate funding to local authorities on as equitable basis as possible taking into account the road lengths in each local authority's area of responsibility. 

It is important to reiterate that State grants are intended to supplement local authorities' own resources. In this context, I am emphasising to Councils 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.

As regards the possibility of additional funding within the Plan period, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform indicated in his budget speech that he is bringing forward the Capital Plan review.   There is a strong case for additional funding for the transport sector which I will make robustly. However, the parameters for the review and the final decisions on allocations are matters for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and Government as a whole.