John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if applications have been made to his Department for the construction of a port access road in Arklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26163/17]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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253. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if applications have been made to his Department for the construction of roads in Arklow; the stage each application is at; the decisions which have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26164/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 252 and 253 together.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in Wicklow is the statutory responsibility of Wicklow County Council, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from the Council's own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the Council.

I can confirm that no applications were received by my Department for the construction of a port access road in Arklow. Applications for these types of works are usually submitted through the Departments Specific and Strategic Grant schemes; however, in order to protect funding for regional and local road maintenance and repair in recent years these schemes have been curtailed. 

It is however open to the Council to fund such projects from their own resources.  The purpose of Exchequer funding is to supplement the own resources of local authorities, not to meet the full cost of schemes.