Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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73. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline any new methods of road repair, road upgrade technology or modern methods of road construction that are currently in use, or under consideration of use, in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22733/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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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.

In response to the challenges of road maintenance, the Department of Transport in collaboration with Local Authorities, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and industry, continue to investigate innovative technologies in the area of road construction and maintenance. These technologies aim to prolong the life of the road infrastructure and promote a more sustainable use of resources.

The ongoing development of new construction materials is supported by the Department in an effort to assist in both carbon reduction and the objectives of the Climate Action Plan. Trials have been undertaken on asphalt mixes that use bio-binders to replace traditional petroleum-based asphalt binders. The performance of pavements which incorporate bio-binders is currently under review.

In addition, the Department supports the use of pavement recycling technology. Pavement recycling technology reuses material from an existing road to rehabilitate a pavement either on or off-site. This technology reclaims end of life material as a means of reducing the demand for quarried material. Improvements in the recovery and recycling processes have been incorporated into recent trials.

In 2025 the Department requested Local Authorities to begin to use warm mix asphalt as part of their restoration improvement programmes. Warm mix asphalt needs less energy when compared to traditional hot mix asphalt and the process uses special additives to produce asphalt at an overall lower temperature.

In 2025 the Department also requested Local Authorities to use the Irish Analytic Pavement Design Method (IAPDM) on a portion of their restoration improvement programmes. The IAPDM is a new design method used to design new pavements as well as provide rehabilitation options for existing pavements. The IAPDM facilitates the use of innovative pavement materials and allows the optimisation of material performance.

The use of warm mix asphalt and IAPDM will be reviewed at the end of 2025.

New technologies also being considered include the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-time monitoring of road conditions. The technology has the potential to detect and record surface changes, such as the formation of cracks or potholes. AI may also be able to detect the locations of road markings and ironworks along with the location and condition of road signs. In addition, the use of drones for bridge inspections is being considered. It is hoped that drones may be able to capture detailed images of the inaccessible parts of a bridge to help identify areas in need of repair. As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you regarding the construction techniques used on the national road network.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.