Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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115. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the provisions in place to provide a catch-up fund for counties like Wexford, to meet the gap in funding and the true cost of maintaining the roads; and if the county will see an increase to the 2026 budget having seen a reduction in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67690/25]

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 supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.

There has been a significant increase in Exchequer funding in recent years with an Exchequer investment of €713 million in our regional and local roads this year. This represents an increase of 25% in funding when compared to 2021.

As regards Wexford County Council's 2025 allocation of €23,310,350 compared to the 2024 allocation of €23,437,550, this is due to the fact that following Storm Babet the Council was allocated €2 million in 2024 for severe weather repair. The allocation in 2025 for severe weather repairs is €700,000.

The National Development Plan Review 2025 sets out capital ceilings for transport to 2030. The Department has recently published the sectoral investment plan for transport which will inform road funding priorities in the coming years.

As regards 2026, regional and local road grant allocations will be finalised following the publication of the Revised Estimates Volume and will take into account the expenditure outturn on projects and programmes in the preceding year. Within the budget available, the objective is to allocate funding to eligible local authorities on as equitable a basis as possible taking the length of the road network into account. The main focus of the grants continues to be the protection and renewal of the regional and local road network.