26/01/2004

Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.

Cullen announces all time record investment of €477million for non-national roads in 2004

€4,610 for every km of non-national road in Ireland

"We are smoothing the way for road users with better surfaces, wider roads and enhanced drainage", Minister Martin Cullen said today (26 January, 2004).

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government was speaking in Carrick-on-Shannon at the announcement of €476.8million in grants to local authorities for non-national roads in 2004 (breakdown attached). The funding, a 10% increase on last year, represents an all time record investment in the country's local and regional roads.

Minister Cullen said: "€477million, the highest ever level of State funding, is being provided for non-national roads in 2004. Every county in the country will benefit by an average of €4,610 per km through this record investment programme. This represents visible value for money from people's taxes".

Minister Cullen highlighted that when the State allocation is combined with an estimated €150million in funding from all local authorities, €627million will be invested in non-national roads in Ireland this year.

Key aspects of the 2004 allocations are:

• Total allocation of €476.8 million for non-national roads
• €4,610 for every km of non-national road
• €220million for the Restoration Programme
• €82million for specific non-national road projects which promote employment and economic activity under the EU Co Financed Specific Improvement Grants Scheme
• €56.338million on Strategic Non-National Road projects, which will assist housing, commercial and industrial development.

Ireland's non-national road network is made up of over 90,000km of local and regional roads. This represents 94% of the public road network. A 2001 traffic census shows that 54% of all road traffic is carried on the non-national road network.

Minister Cullen described the non-national roads programme as the gem of the National Development Plan. He said: "Our economic success has made this record investment possible. Investment in non-national roads under the NDP is 15% ahead of schedule. The money from taxpayers' pockets is delivering locally".

The Minister outlined his commitment to upgrading urban roads: "While urban roads constitute a much smaller part of the non-national road network, it is important that they too are properly resourced. That is why I have increased block grant allocations this year to Urban Authorities by over €2.5 million, a 9.6 % increase".

Among the Strategic Non-National road schemes to benefit in 2004 include the Naas Ring Road, the Enfield-Edenderry Road, Castletroy Distributor Roads in Limerick, Trim-Dublin Improvement Scheme, South Dublin Outer Ring Road, Tramore Ring Road, Wicklow Town Relief and Port Access Road and the Outer Ring Road in Waterford. The Minister said: "The increased funding provided for these projects in 2004 will enable local authorities to progress work on critically important schemes on the country's regional roads network".

Additional features of the 2004 allocation include:

• Discretionary Maintenance and Improvement Grants of €26 million and €22 million respectively have been allocated to County Councils. In addition, City, Borough and Town Councils will benefit from a total of €14.057 million in Block Grants as well as €15.087 million in Special Block Grants for Carriageway and Footpath Repairs. It is a matter for local authorities to determine priorities under these grant schemes.
• Almost €2.8 million for Low Cost Safety Improvement Works on Non National Roads.
• Grants totalling €5 million are being provided for the continuation of the regional road signposting programme which commenced in 2003.
• €5 million is being reserved for the non-national roads signage costs involved in the metrication of speed limits, to be allocated at a later date.
• €1.470 million is being provided for the Non-National Roads Training Programme.
• Almost €6.7 million is being allocated to Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford City Councils in Traffic Management Grants.
• €3 million has been set aside to be allocated later in CLÁR areas, along with €3m from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, for local secondary and local tertiary roads.
• €12.1 million for Local Improvement Scheme – details will be announced at later date.