Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 December 2016
466. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide emergency funding to Kerry County Council to carry out works on the Dale Road, Abbeydorney Cross to Ballinclogher Cross, R551, at which urgent upgrades are necessary due to an extremely dangerous road layout resulting in seven vehicles crashing over ditches in 2016 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38490/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads such as the R551 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 local authorities' own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
The economic reality of recent years has meant significant reductions in roads budgets across the board and this has resulted in some grant programmes being curtailed, including the Specific and Strategic Grant Programmes, in order to protect funding for road maintenance and repair.
It is important to reiterate that the role of Exchequer grants for regional and local roads is to supplement local authorities in their spending in this area and it is open to Kerry County Council to fund this work from its own resources.
