John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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470. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding for road repair works (details supplied) will be assigned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43549/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads (RLR) in Kerry is the statutory responsibility of Kerry 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 local authority. In this context no funding application has been received by the Department in relation to Dale Road.

The economic reality of recent years has meant significant reductions in roads budgets across the board and this has resulted in some grant programmes being curtailed, including the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes, in order to protect funding for road maintenance and repair and this remains the position.

While the Capital Plan 2016-2021 does provide for the gradual build up in funding for the road network it will take some years yet to reach the level required for the adequate maintenance and renewal of the network. There is, therefore, limited scope at present for funding for projects under either the Specific or Strategic Grant Programmes.

Notwithstanding the above, Kerry County Council has been allocated €1.4m in 2017 towards 3 Specific Improvement projects. 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 open to Kerry County Council to fund work on this road from its own resources.