Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1357. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will increase funding to Cavan, Monaghan and Meath County Councils to repair roads in bad need of upgrade and maintenance works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35436/17]

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.

The transport element of the Capital Plan is based on a gradual build up in capital funding for the road network from the current relatively low base towards the levels needed to support maintenance and improvement works. Funding continues to be tight in 2017, however, it is expected that funding will be stepped up in 2018 and 2019 and then a significant ramp up will follow from 2020.  My Department has to work within the budgets included in the Capital Plan.

All funding for regional and local roads in 2017 has been fully allocated.

It is important to reiterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement local authorities in their spending in this area and it is also open to County Councils to fund works from its own resources.