Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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428. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department will make funding available for the Oberstown Cross road upgrade works, Oberstown, Tara, County Meath given that the number of serious accidents at this crossroads and the need for immediate safety improvement works; the amount of funding currently available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21026/22]

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 each local authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants, where applicable. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

Applications for funding under my Department’s Safety Improvement Scheme are invited on an annual basis for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. Councils are made aware of this and are asked to submit applications in order of priority. As Meath County Council is responsible for maintaining and improving its regional and local roads, it is the Council's responsibility to determine its priorities and work programme while taking account of the funding provided from grant allocations and from the Council's own resources.

Meath County Council received an allocation of €337,000 for safety improvement works in 2022. Our records indicate that the Council's application did not include a scheme at Oberstown Cross, Tara, Co. Meath.