Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1367. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to introduce a separate funding stream for schools that wish to introduce road safety measures at their facilities and cannot access funding locally due to Government cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35752/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority, 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 local authority.

  Applications were sought last year from local authorities for funding in 2017 for my Department's Safety Improvement Works Programme and it is open to local authorities to submit road safety measures at schools for consideration under this grant category. Alternatively, it is also open to local authorities to consider funding such projects from their Discretionary Grant or their own resources.  Applications in respect of funding for 2018 will be sought in the coming months.

It is important to reiterate that it is a matter for the local authority to select, prioritise and agree the works to be funded and progressed each year as part of its annual works programme.  In addition, the purpose of Exchequer funding is to supplement the own resources of the local authority, not to meet the full cost of a local authority's roads programme.  

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

As regards national roads, while I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme, the planning, design and implementation of individual road projects is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Noting this I have also referred the Deputy's question to TII for direct reply.  I ask her to advise my private office if she does not receive a reply within 10 working days.