Non-national roads get record upgrade funding

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, today announced record funding of over €425 million to upgrade non-national roads in the State.

Over half of the funding - which is a 4 per cent increase on last year's allocation - is earmarked for the Restoration Programme, with €234 million to be invested in improvements and maintenance.

Of the remainder, €90 million is allocated for road projects that promote employment and economic activity, and €53.15 million will go towards Strategic Non-National Road projects, which will assist housing, commercial and industrial development.

Seven counties, whose roads most need strengthening, will receive an extra €5 million funding.

Strategic Non-National road schemes that will receive allocations in 2005 include the Naas Ring Road, the Clane Inner Relief Road, the South Dublin Outer Ring Road, Wicklow Town Relief and the Port Access Road, the Trim to Kilcock Road, the Outer Ring Road in Waterford, the Balbriggan Inner Relief Road and the Corbally Link Road in Limerick.

A new category has also been introduced for footpaths and repairs to paths in areas served by town councils who are not road authorities, with half a million euro in funding available.

However, the Labour Party has criticised the funding for failing to keep pace with increases in motor taxation.

The party's spokesman on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr Eamon Gilmore, said the increases in motor tax are not being used to improve the non-national road network.

"Whereas motor tax has gone up by 17 per cent over three years, the rate of investment in non-national roads has only risen by 13 per cent. We have had two large increases in motor tax - up by 12 per cent in 2003 and by 5 per cent in 2004, but this is not reflected in announcements such as these," Mr Gilmore said.