Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if local authorities have reported delays in the completion of their restoration improvement programmes; and his plans to assist local authorities in increasing their capacity to carry out roadworks in the coming months. [15653/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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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 Councils’ own resources supplemented by regional and local road grants.

As regards the regional and local road grant funded Restoration Improvement (RI) programme, road maintenance activity is seasonal. While local authorities might carry out contract procurement and some preparatory work at this time of the year, the crucial period for delivery of the main regional and local road maintenance programmes is from April. This is when the road strengthening programmes generally start followed by surface dressing work from late May.  My Department's Engineering Inspectors will be liaising with local authorities regarding implementation of the RI programme.

As regards resources, while staffing is generally the responsibility of each local authority, I announced funding in January this year for up to 248 new jobs in local authorities to expand walking and cycling facilities across the country.  Recruitment of the additional resources will be a matter for the individual local authorities in line with their normal procedures, with costs proposed to be attributed to the Department's sustainable mobility programme. It is expected that up to 218 staff could ultimately be assigned to the new active travel teams across all local authorities with a further 30 additional staff available through the Regional Design Offices.