Budget cuts in funding for non-national roads

Local authorities are facing a cut of more than 13 per cent in funding for non-national roads - the routes which constitute 94 per cent of the overall road network and carry 60 per cent of all traffic - according to figures in the Government's pre-budget outlook.

The proposed cut follows successive annual increases in recent years which saw the then minister with responsibility for non-national roads, Dick Roche, claim that provision for 2007 would pass €666 million.

The year-on-year increases had followed a Pavement Condition Study which showed a very large growth in traffic volumes, particularly in the number of heavy goods vehicles on local and regional roads over the last 10 years. Because of this, almost 50 per cent of the 2007 funding for non-national roads - which is part of the National Development Plan - was ear-marked for restoration projects.

In addition, last year the Government recognised a number of the roads, while not being classed as "national" roads, nevertheless had a strategic regional importance, and a fund of €46 million was included in the overall provision for 24 schemes. These included the Waterford airport road in Co Waterford, the Moyross access road in Co Limerick, the Clonmore link road in Mullingar and the western distributor road in Sligo town. Others included the Wicklow town to N11 route and the road from Enfield, Co Meath, to Edenderry, Co Offaly, most of which wais in Co Kildare.

However, in the pre-budget outlook, published last month, the estimate of expenditure of the Local Government Fund (subhead D.1 Vote 25) included a figure of €1.524 billion. Of this, €520 million is estimated to be spent on non-national roads.

In addition, €53.8 million was earmarked for non-national roads under another budgetary subhead (D.2 - Grants in respect of non-national roads).

Taken together, the total provision for funding was €573.8 million, a reduction of more than €90 million.

The issue is complicated by the transfer of responsibility for non-national roads from the Department of Environment to Transport, which is expected to be formally completed before budget day, and which will see the provision move from one Department's budget to the other.

While the Department of Finance has said the figure might change on budget day, local authorities across the State are anxiously awaiting news of their allocations, which may prompt a review of current schemes.

Already this year, Kerry County Council has been refused funding for emergency repairs to bridges damaged by flooding.

The department said it did not hold back money "to deal with weather contingencies".

The Department of Environment said local authorities were regularly advised to set aside contingency money for such works, but they could also use general-purpose grants.

With several peninsulas and rivers and a high percentage of non-national roads, Kerry has more than 3,000 bridges on the non-national road network, one of the highest number of bridges in the State.

Extensive repairs to those that have been damaged by floods and heavy goods vehicles will prove "a major drain" on resources this year, the head of the county's roads section has warned.

The issue has caused concern in a number of rural local authorities and those exposed to adverse weather conditions, who have less access to alternative funds, such as development levies to improve or repair non-national roads.

The Departments of Environment and Transport both said that arrangements would be further clarified on budget day.