Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

219. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the progress being made in upgrading roads infrastructure in County Kildare, particularly in areas experiencing heavy traffic congestion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44681/24]

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

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 a matter for the local authority.

The 2024 regional and local road grants were notified to local authorities in February this year and Kildare County Council received an allocation of €23,160,200 for the maintenance and improvement of their regional and local roads network. On 31st May 2024, I announced additional funding of €30 million to local authorities through Restoration Improvement (RI) Grants following persistent rainfall over winter and spring. Kildare County Council has been allocated €1,217,500 under this supplementary allocation.

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 Programme. Applications are sought each year from local authorities for consideration for funding in the subsequent year. In this context funding can be sought for traffic calming and other measures. It is a matter for Kildare County Council to submit such applications for consideration of funding.

Regional and Local Road Improvement projects proposed by local authorities for consideration for funding will be 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 Infrastructure Guidelines (IG) (formerly known as the Public Spending Code (PSC)) and my Department’s Transport Appraisal Framework (TAF).

It is important to stress that the responsibility for the management of roads, including traffic management measures, lies with each individual local authority within its administrative area. Local authorities work in conjunction with Transport Infrastructure Ireland in the case of national roads. While the National Transport Authority is responsible for overall transport strategy in the Greater Dublin Area and liaises with local authorities in that regard.