€30m in emergency funding for local and regional road network

The government today (Friday, May 31) announced an emergency investment of €30 million to support Local Authorities in the maintenance and renewal of the regional and local road network throughout the country.

The Department of Transport has allocated the emergency investment in response to persistent rainfall experienced over the winter and spring months.

The new funding package aims to address the most severely impacted areas, where continuous wet conditions has led to water seepage.

The additional money will be allocated to Local Authorities based on road lengths per region, ensuring that areas hardest hit by the extreme rainfall receive the necessary resources to repair their roads, according to the government.

Local Authorities in Dublin will not receive funding under this scheme, as they self-fund road maintenance and improvements from local property taxes, the government has said.

Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Communications, Eamon Ryan, said that the government’s commitment to road safety needs to be “addressed quickly”.

“Keeping our road network safe is a priority for me and this government.

“Climate change, like the prolonged rain we saw this winter and spring, has a damaging impact on our road surfaces which has to be addressed quickly so that it does not lead to further deterioration.

“Through this additional funding, local authorities can begin to restore the impacted regional and local road network along with building resilience into the network in an ever-changing environment,” Minister Ryan added.

Road network

Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers also highlighted how the road network plays an important role in every day life.

“This investment in protecting and improving the existing road network is fundamental for road safety and for connecting people and places across the country.

“Prompt restoration of the impacted road network is essential from a safety perspective as well as maintaining key social and economic connections,” Minister Chambers said.