Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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212. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there is any guidance, circular or legislation governing the replacement of traffic lights; and if funding is available to local authorities for same. [57421/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Legal responsibility for public roads is vested in the County Councils and City Councils. These local authorities, in discharging their road functions, are referred to as ‘road authorities’.

Section 95 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 notes that “a road authority may provide in respect of public roads in their charge such information signs and warning signs as they consider desirable” This includes the erection, maintenance and operation of traffic signals.

Section 95 also provides for the Minister to issue a direction to road authorities in relation to the provision of traffic signs. In this context, the Traffic Signs Manual, specifically Chapter 9, provides details of the traffic signals which shall be used both at new installations or when replacing equipment at existing locations. The layout, symbols and the circumstances in which each signal may be used are outlined in this chapter. The Traffic Signs Manual is available at www.trafficsigns.ie where each chapter can be downloaded individually.

As regards the funding that is available to local authorities for the replacement of traffic lights, under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme's Discretionary Grant, Councils have discretion in spending these grants for improvement and maintenance works subject to selecting from a list of eligible works which includes the provision and maintenance of traffic signals.

As part of the Active Travel Programme, the National Transport Authority may upgrade traffic signals to provide compliant accessible crossings. However, no separate funding is available to local authorities for the maintenance of existing traffic signals.