Written answers

Tuesday, 24 April 2018

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Network

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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514. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding his response to the National Oversight and Audit Commission's recent report on the condition of Ireland's regional and local roads; and the status of his plans to address the issues raised by this report. [17839/18]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of regional and local roads rests with the relevant local authority. Works on such roads are undertaken by local authorities using monies from own resources and these monies are supplemented by grants from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. In 2018 Department grants for regional and local roads increased by 29% from €324m to €417m.

- Restoration Improvement monies (for strengthening works) have increased by 18% in 2018.

- Restoration Maintenance monies (for surface dressing works) have increased by 17% in 2018.

- An important new grant for Drainage works (overall €10m) has been introduced.

- Ring-fenced monies for Community Involvement Schemes (CIS) are being provided (overall €10m). Following an application process local authorities will be advised of their grant funding for CIS within a few weeks.

In conjunction with local authorities the Department has set up the MapRoad system which allows road works and road condition to be recorded across the 94,000 km of regional and local roads. This has facilitated the reporting of road condition across various classes of roads by NOAC. Until steady state is achieved and progress is made on addressing the backlog there is likely to be a disimprovement in the ratings reported by NOAC.

The 2018 regional and local road allocations were announced on the 29th January 2018 and all grant funding available to the Department in respect of regional and local roads has now been allocated. It is therefore a matter for each Council to determine its priorities and decide its work programme on that basis, taking available grant funding and its own resources into account.

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