Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide funding to local authorities to carry out safety works on regional and local roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42009/24]

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 these roads are funded from Councils’ own resources and supplemented by State Road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

My Department provides grant assistance to local authorities under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme for a number of targeted programmes, including the Safety Improvement Works Grant Programme. Applications are sought each year from eligible local authorities under this programme for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. Councils are asked to submit applications in order of priority.

This year, over €10.5 million has been allocated specifically under the Safety Improvement Works Grant Programme to regional and local roads for 261 schemes across the State, while a further €10.1 million of the Specific Improvement Grant Programme was allocated to road improvement schemes related to road safety.