Additional funding sought for non-national roads

Mid-year review of the 2023 capital programme- Smith TD

The issue of additional funding for local roads across Cavan and Monaghan has been raised with Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

Speaking in the Dáil, local Fianna Fáil TD, Brendan Smith, said there has been a welcome and much-needed increase in Government funding for the non-national road network in the last few years but unfortunately inflation has eaten into the available resources.

He said: "The costs of bituminous overlay pavement products, concrete and aggregates, the main products used in roadworks, have risen dramatically.

"I would like assurance that in the mid-year review of the 2023 capital programme, priority will be given to a further allocation to local authorities of grant aid for regional, county and local roads. The councils in my constituency, Cavan and Monaghan county councils, have the capacity to put such funding to good use in the best interests of rural communities.''

In response, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said there was an increase this year in capital funding but agreed that much of that has been absorbed by inflation in the cost of materials in construction more generally.

"The total allocated this year for regional and local roads is approximately €626 million, €46 million of which is current expenditure and €580 million of which is capital, compared to €597 million overall in 2022.''

The Tánaiste concluded by saying: "We take on board what the Deputy said about mid-term reviews and to examine what we can do this year regarding different stages of capital being deployed and whether we can deploy more capital for it this year."