William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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222. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps being taken to ensure that rural and regional road networks are made more climate-resilient in response to increased flooding, storm damage, and extreme weather events; if additional funding will be made available to local authorities for road repair and adaptation works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62635/25]

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 those roads are funded from Councils' own resources, which are supplemented by State grants for regional and local roads. The Department of Transport also emphasises to local authorities the importance of setting aside a contingency fund to manage unforeseen events such as severe flooding.

As outlined in the 2025 Regional and Local Roads programme which I released on the 14th of February this year, the Government is strongly committed to protecting the existing regional and local road network. This network is fundamental in connecting people and places across the country.

In line with established practice, local authorities are advised by my Department that a contingency provision should be reserved from the overall resources available to each authority for regional and local roads so as to deal with damage caused by severe weather conditions.

In addition, local authorities may carry out repairs from the regional and local road grants available to them and from their own resources and in this context, it is open to each Council to determine and reprioritise its work programme following severe weather events.

As part of the 2023–24 European windstorm season, Ireland experienced several severe weather events, most noticeably Storm Babet, causing considerable damage to the regional and local road network. The Department continues to engage with local authorities, and in 2025 allocated €10 million for severe weather repairs.

My Department sought applications in October 2024 for funding of climate change adaptation and resilience works on regional and local roads to be carried out by local authorities during 2025. The schemes for inclusion in the application are decided by the local authorities. Allocations are made by the Department taking into account the terms applying to the scheme and the available budget for the grant programme, and it is not possible to allocate funds to all projects. In 2025, 16.5 million was allocated for climate adaptation and resilience works.