Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 September 2026
24. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Transport in the event of additional funding being allocated to Local Authorities in the course of the year for the non-national road network, if such additional funding could be left to the discretion of each Local Authority regarding the specific works to be undertaken. [69372/26]
View answerIn accordance with Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority. Work on such roads is funded from Councils' own resources, supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of work to be funded is a matter for local authorities.
Within the budget available for the Regional and Local Roads Grant Programme, which provides for the maintenance of regional and local roads, the objective is to allocate supplemental 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 roads network.
Owing to budgetary circumstances or external events, there have been occasions where funding outside of initial allocations have been provided. In the past this has been carried out through the provision of supplemental grants, readjustments to account for project over and under spends, and, in the recent case of Storm Chandra, the provision of additional exceptional funding.
My Department maintains national oversight and governance of road projects and, as such, has a more strategic level view of work across the country and where additional funding, when available, can best be targeted to meet the most need.
