Written answers

Wednesday, 9 May 2018

Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Roads Maintenance Funding

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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239. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the requests received by his Department from a county council (details supplied) for funding due to extreme weather events; the funding sought and the works proposed; when the application was submitted; the decision made on the request; the funding allocation made in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20221/18]

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of local authorities, 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 selection, prioritisation and implementation of works, including works relating to the impact of severe weather, is also a matter for the local authority.

During the winter of 2013/2014 storms caused significant damage to infrastructure, including roads.The then Department of Environment, Community and Local Government collated data in respect of the damage and cost estimates in respect of roads repair, coastal protection repair, clean-up, piers and harbours etc. The return from Mayo County Council estimated the cost of the damage to roads at €1.62 million. 

Following on from a Government decision to make additional funding available to assist local authorities in dealing with the damage, funding of €1.62 million was allocated to Mayo County Council in specific severe weather funding and this funding was drawn down over 2014 and 2015.  A further request for additional funding to address storm damage to Achill roads was received in October 2015.The Council was advised that all available grant funding had been allocated but that the Department would review the position at end year.  Overall the Council drew down severe weather funding of €1,225,890 in 2014 and €437,596 in €2015.

Following severe flooding over the winter of 2015/2016 which resulted in significant damage to roads, the Government also decided to allocate additional funding to local authorities based on initial estimates of the cost of repairs. The Department sought further submissions from local authorities before allocating the severe weather funding.  In total the Department received funding applications totalling €209 million, far exceeding the funding available.Following the review of the submissions, funding was allocated to each of the local authorities affected by the severe weather in line with the additional funding made available by Government and an amount which had been set aside from the general regional and local road grant allocation.  In the case of Mayo, the Council applied for €7.6 million and was paid €5.5 million.

No severe weather funding was allocated to Mayo County Council in 2017 or to date in 2018.

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