Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 April 2026
117. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Transport the total allocations for local road maintenance and improvement to Monaghan and Cavan County Councils for the years 2020-2025 inclusive; and the proposed allocation for 2026. [30071/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe initial grant allocations from my Department for 2026 for Cavan and Monaghan County Councils respectively are €19,165,275 and €17,231,600. These 2025 amounts are €19,193,150 for Cavan and €18,008,350 for Monaghan.
All funding available through the 2026 Regional and Local Road Grant Programme was allocated to local authorities in February this year. Such allocations should supplement realistic contributions from local authorities’ own resources.
It should be noted that funding for local authorities, for new infrastructure and pilot schemes, fluctuates from year to year as projects and pilot schemes move through their life cycles. Funding will generally increase as a project or pilot moves from feasibility to construction and decrease as it moves towards completion.
In 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.
In the main, allocations are based primarily on the length of the road network in a particular local authority area. Apart from the requirement that 15% of the road strengthening grant is spent on regional roads, the allocation of funding to different categories of road is entirely a matter for decision by each local authority.
The Regional and Local Roads Grant Programme is targeted at specific policy objectives and, as such, provides for pavement sealing to protect the road surface from water damage and road strengthening based on pavement condition rating to lengthen the life of road pavements. The provision of a Discretionary Grant allows for a range of activities including pothole repairs, edge strengthening, renewal of signs and lines, and winter maintenance.
