Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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37. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the Guidelines for Managing Openings in Public Roads, that is, the purple book; his plans to revise the guidelines in respect of the roll-out of broadband networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13429/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Guidelines for Managing Openings in Public Roads document, which was published in 2017 after extensive consultation, sets out a summary of the legal framework relating to powers of road authorities, various statutory bodies and private individuals in forming openings in public roads in Ireland. The document also prescribes standards in respect of the work of forming openings, backfilling and the reinstatement of road surfaces and the associated materials to be used on all roads other than national roads. 

In addition,  the document prescribes procedures and requirements in relation to the use of the MapRoad Roadworks Licensing (MRL) system and its use for all road openings in public roads other than those carried out by a road authority.  In this context local authorities have created a shared service, the Road Management Office, to manage asset management aspects of roads infrastructure. One of the functions assigned to the RMO is the management of the MRL road licensing system on behalf of the sector.

I have no plans to revise the Guidelines.