Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

203. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of community involvement scheme roads repaired in each Cork county municipal district in each of the years 2021 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42976/24]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

206. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount that was spent on community involvement scheme roads in each Cork county municipal district in 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42987/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 203, 206, 871 and 870 together.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of local authorities, 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 a matter for the local authority.

In 2018, the Department introduced ring-fenced funding for Community Involvement Schemes (CIS). The purpose of the CIS is to facilitate local community participation in the repair of local roads. The focus of the programme is on the repair of more lightly trafficked public roads which might not be high on the list of a local authority's annual roadwork programme. Under the scheme a local community can contribute in money or in kind, for example by making labour or machinery available.

While community contributions in the range 15% to 30% had been required up to 2021, depending on the mix between works and monies, the contribution rate has now been reduced to a minimum of 10% for monetary contributions and 20% for works contribution. This is more in line with Local Improvement Scheme contribution rates.

In order to allow for sufficient planning and applications for this scheme, local authorities are invited to apply for funding for CIS projects for a two-year programme with the latest round of applications received in 2023 for the 2024/2025 period.

Grant allocations for 2024 were issued in February this year with €13m being made available to local authorities under the CIS grant. Of this, Cork County Council received an allocation of €1,695,600 for the 2024 CIS programme.

It is important to reiterate that the annual programme of works is decided by the local authorities, and the Department has no role in this process.

The payments to local authorities are outlined in the regional and local road payments booklets which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Decisions regarding allocations to individual Municipal Districts are a matter for each local authority.

In this regard I suggest you contact Cork County Council directly for details of the allocation of funding for regional and local roads in each Municipal District.