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For Oral Answer on : 04/07/2024
Question Number(s): 58 Question Reference(s): 27428/24
Department: Transport
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Transport the formula, if any, used by his Department to allocate funding to local authorities for annual regional and local roads funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
In accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, each local authority has statutory responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of their regional and local roads. Works on those roads are funded from local authorities’ own resources and are supplemented by State Road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for the local authority.
Within the budget available to the Department, State grant funding is allocated on as fair and equitable a basis as possible to ensure that all local authorities are in receipt of funds to maintain the network. The allocation of the three biggest exchequer grant types (restoration maintenance, restoration improvement, and discretionary grants) are based on the length of regional and local roads within a local authority’s area, with additional weighting based on contributing traffic factors in specific areas.
This approach also means that, while central Government is supplying significant funding, we are acknowledging that local authorities themselves are best placed to make determinations in their own areas for maximum delivery of results. Indeed, the initial selection and prioritisation of maintenance and renewal works is a matter for each local authority. There is flexibility within the State grant programme for Councils to direct resources to address particular problems identified on their networks as they see fit.
