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News 2010 Minister Noel Dempsey announces €411.408 million for 2010 Regional & Local Roads Programme
News 2010 Minister Noel Dempsey announces €411.408 million for 2010 Regional & Local Roads Programme
| Minister Noel Dempsey announces €411.408 million for 2010 Regional & Local Roads Programme |
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Minister Noel Dempsey has announced €411.408 million for 2010 Regional & Local Roads Programme “Priority is to protect investment and target resources for urgently required repairs due to severe weather” Overall grants structure has been simplified and the main features are as follows: · €240m for rehabilitation and maintenance of road pavements. Local authorities have complete discretion in the selection of roads · €60m for surface dressing · €26.5m for urban authorities for rehabilitation and maintenance of road pavements. Urban authorities have complete discretion in the selection of roads · €62.2m for specific projects (including bridges) · €6.3m for Low Cost Safety Improvement Works · €5m for Local Improvements Scheme · €4.9m for Regional Road Signposting Programme · Priority is to protect investment and target resources for urgently required repairs due to severe weather Noel Dempsey, T.D., Minister for Transport, nnounced details of the Government’s €411 million investment programme in the regional and local roads network for 2010. The overall allocation represents an average investment of €34m per month on Ireland’s regional and local roads. Speaking today about the investment programme, Minister Dempsey said: “This year’s allocation of over €411 million will bring the total Exchequer investment since 1997 for the restoration and upgrading of regional and local roads by way of grants to over €6 billion. In deciding on allocations for 2010 my priority is to protect that investment in the roads network and to carefully target resources to address, on a priority basis, the most urgently required repairs resulting from the extensive damage caused by the recent severe weather. The cost for repairing damage caused by severe weather events is estimated by County Councils as €180m. I have also simplified the grants structure and given more flexibility to local authorities to direct funding to the priorities mentioned above. ” The Minister added “These grants, which supplement expenditure by local authorities from their own resources, represent a very significant investment at a time when public finances are under severe pressure. In order to increase the monies available for the maintenance and rehabilitation of road pavements, it has been necessary to reduce the grant allocations for major new road schemes and for major realignment schemes.” Improvement Grants “This year the planned rehabilitation works on regional and local roads is being deferred and greater flexibility is being given to local authorities to deal with the urgent repair of damage to the regional and local road network arising from the recent flooding and prolonged severely cold weather. A total of €188.8 million is being provided under this special improvement grant in 2010.” Maintenance Grants “Local authorities are also being provided with €111 million in maintenance grants in 2010. The division of monies between surface dressing and general maintenance works is being rebalanced to give councils increased flexibility in addressing maintenance needs on regional and local roads. Some of the extra money being provided under the heading of general maintenance will be used towards the additional cost of salting/gritting for the period December 2009 to February 2010”. Specific Projects “€62.2 million is being provided for 138 specific schemes, including bridges. These grants are paid for projects, which aid local economic development and employment creation and benefit the Fisheries, Forestry, Industry, Rural Development and Tourism Sectors or that make a significant contribution towards the aims of the National Spatial Strategy.” Urban Authorities “As well as the special improvement and maintenance grants being provided to county councils, urban authorities are being allocated a total of €26.5 million (an increase of €3 million) for Block Grants. Urban authorities are also being given greater flexibility under this grant category.” Road Safety “As in previous years, I am making a specific allocation this year to tackle accident blackspots. Local authorities will be provided with €6.3million for 249 projects under the Low Cost Safety Improvement works programme.” Local Improvements Scheme “A total of €5 million has been set aside this year for the Local Improvements Scheme. Under this scheme, grants are made available to county councils for the carrying out of road works on private roads. Works carried out provide improved access for people in isolated and depopulated areas.” Other Grant Categories “The other main elements of the 2010 investment programme include improvements to signposting on regional roads, improvements to footpaths and grants for road worker training programmes.” Own Resources The Minister concluded by stressing the importance of local authorities allocating sufficient own resources for the improvement and maintenance of the regional and local roads network. “State grants are a supplement to expenditure by the local authorities. All authorities need to maintain and even increase their own expenditure on their road networks and it is particularly important that local authorities carefully reassess their planned road programmes for 2010.” ENDS Further information: Total 2010 Regional and Local Road Grant Allocations |