Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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177. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount of moneys awarded to Mayo County Council for regional roads funding in each of the years 2021 and 2022; and the status of each project submitted for funding at the end of each year, in tabular form. [9606/23]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the full list of projects submitted by Mayo County Council for funding via the regional roads funding to date in 2023. [9607/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 and 178 together.

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. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

Eligible local authorities are advised as early as possible at the start of each year of the grant amount available to them under the Restoration Maintenance, Supplementary Restoration Maintenance, Restoration Improvement, Discretionary Grant, Drainage Grant, Training Grant and PSCI Survey Support Grant Programmes. The bulk of the grant funding provided to local authorities for regional and local roads is directed to maintenance and renewal works. Once the grants are notified to local authorities it is a matter for each local authority to draw up their annual programme of pavement works which must then be submitted on the Asset Management System which is hosted by the Road Management Office.

As regards other grant programmes, each year the Department issues Circulars to eligible local authorities seeking grant applications for the following year for the Bridge Rehabilitation, Safety Improvement, Former National Roads, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, Signage Grant Programmes. In the case of the Community Involvement Scheme applications are sought for a 2 year period.

The Department no longer seeks annual applications from local authorities in respect of the Specific (road improvement schemes costing up to €5m.) and Strategic (improvement schemes costing over €5m.) Grant Programmes. Instead it considers projects proposed by local authorities on a case by case basis taking into account the availability of funding and the outcome of project appraisals. Any projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific or Strategic Grant Programmes must comply with the requirements of the DPER Public Spending Code and the Department’s Capital Appraisal Framework.

Following the notification of the grants to local authorities the Department lodges an allocations booklet to the Oireachtas Library which sets out in tabular form the allocations provided to each local authority. The allocations booklets for 2021 and 2022 are available in the Oireachtas Library.

As regards the end of year position, payments booklets which set out the outturn under the various programmes for 2021 and 2022 are also available in the Oireachtas Library.

As regards 2023, the allocations booklet will be lodged to the Oireachtas Library shortly. Details of the 2023 regional and local grant allocations are available at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/2381e-626-million-for-regional-and-local-roads-announced/.