Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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193. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the funding application by Cork County Council for the road upgrade project at Pewter Hole Cross; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18843/23]

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 Councils' 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.

The major cuts to funding for regional and local roads during the post 2008 recession resulted in the build-up of a substantial backlog of works across the country. The estimated cost of the backlog is in excess of €5 billion. Because of the pressures on the regional and local road network, approximately 90% of available Exchequer grant assistance to local authorities for regional and local roads is being directed to maintenance and renewal works rather than for new roads or for road realignments.

Any road improvement projects proposed by local authorities for consideration under the Specific Grant Programme are assessed by the Department on a case-by-case basis. All projects put forward by local authorities for consideration must comply with the requirements of the Public Spending Code and my Department's Capital Appraisal Framework. Given the limited funding available for regional and local road improvement works it is important for local authorities to prioritise projects within their overall area of responsibility with these requirements in mind.

Cork County Council has been allocated a total of €4,635,000 for five projects under the 2023 Specific Improvement Grant programme, in line with the priorities identified by the Council. Pewter Hole Cross is not one of the projects currently being funded.