I am sorry to trouble the Taoiseach with mundane and practical matters but some city representatives and those from urban centres would not recognise or realise the huge problem we have with rural and county roads. An elected representative living in rural Ireland meets people every other day describing the shocking, appalling and atrocious conditions of these roads. People living on these roads at present are frustrated, angry and resentful because their local road network is in tatters.

This is a massive political issue. The Government does not need research, surveys or focus groups to establish the extent of the problem but, rather, should just ask county councillors in Tipperary and elsewhere who are currently embarrassed and ashamed to meet people living on such roads. People using such roads in north, mid, south and west Tipperary are incensed and furious at the neglect and abandonment of some rural roads. Council engineers and elected representatives feel helpless and hopeless because of the lack of adequate funding.

There have been several weather events such as Storms Ophelia, Eleanor and Brian and unprecedented levels of rainfall, snow and frost. The Government did an excellent job in briefing the public on such events and the message it conveyed was competent and capable in terms of getting precautionary measures across to the public. However, the follow up has been less than impressive. It was inevitable that such weather events would make an impact and have consequences such as the alarming deterioration of our roads. The more that deterioration is ignored, the worse it gets.

The CEO and executive of Tipperary County Council last week met with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and informed him that, having conducted an evaluation and assessment, they require an additional €197 million to resolve the problems of 3,000 km of rural roads. If one looks at the allocations, the national allocation for 2008, ten years ago, was €608 million. The allocation for this year, 2018, is €417 million, a drop of €200 million. Seven years ago, Tipperary was allocated €45 million for its roads. This year, it will receive €23.3 million, less than half that amount.

An urgent, coherent and orchestrated response by the Government is needed. It is not sufficient to say there has been an increase in allocation. It is abundantly clear that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will not be able to provide the necessary funds. An extraordinary response is required and that must be funded.

I had the opportunity over the Easter recess to get around the country a little bit. I was in Limerick, Galway, Deputy Lowry's own county of Tipperary, Laois, Meath, Kildare and north County Dublin. The Deputy is correct that the issue of the condition of local and regional roads has been raised with me by citizens everywhere I go and that many such roads are in very bad condition: there are many potholes and ruts and many vehicles are being damaged. That is due to a combination of underinvestment in our roads during the dark years of the recession - the lost decade during which we did not have the money to invest in our public infrastructure - and also the very bad weather that we have experienced in recent times.

The total regional and local road budget for this year is €417 million, a very considerable increase of €90 million on last year. I did some metaphorical digging in the past day or two------

That does not answer the question. We know about that allocation.

------and discovered that only a small fraction of that €417 million has been spent by the local authorities. The reason I have been given for it not being spent is that local authorities have not been able to get out on the roads to repair them because of the bad weather. Now that the weather is getting warmer and the sun is starting to come out, I expect local authorities to begin work immediately on repairing our local and regional roads and to spend the €417 million that has been allocated to them this year for that purpose.

The Government is considering an additional allocation on foot of the storm events and we have asked each local authority to come forward with a costing in that regard. Some have done so and others have not but before we make that additional allocation I would like local authorities to spend the €417 million - €90 million more than last year - that they have been allocated. I understand the weather has been bad and they have not been able to get crews out but the weather is now improving, long evenings are coming and I expect local authorities to get out there, do that work and spend that money.

With respect, the problem is they do not have the resources to do the work. Our roads have become virtually undriveable. They are not fit for purpose. They are hazardous. They are dangerous. In fact, they are obstacle courses. The situation is impacting on school buses, dairy collection services, An Post deliveries, bin collection and ambulance services. I am aware of a case last week where a sick elderly person had to be brought out by tractor through a lane to meet the ambulance at the top of the road. That is how bad our roads are.

All elected representatives are getting savaged at meetings in rural areas. We have to turn up and explain the unexplainable. It is just impossible. We have a general election on the horizon and this issue must be addressed. If Fine Gael and the Government are serious about re-election they must address the lack of funding for rural roads because after the first week of the campaign half of the canvassers will be in bed because they will not want to face the hostility of the people living down rural roads and lanes.

Figures were supplied to me on funding for local roads in Tipperary. There is an increase this year to €21 million for regional and local roads, which is up from €18.4 million last year.

That would not patch them.

For national roads there has been an increase from €2 million last year to €13 million this year. The Deputy will be aware the local improvement scheme for laneways was reintroduced last year and the allocation for Tipperary is €625,000. That is up from €237,000 for last year. There are increases under all of those headings for Tipperary. It is also important to bear in mind that central government grants are not supposed to cover the full cost of roads. Local authorities are supposed to supplement that funding with their own resources from commercial rates and the local property tax.

They do not have any resources.

Order, please.

I ask Deputy Lowry and everyone else in their interactions with council officials to ask them how much of the resources have been deployed so far this year. As I said, €417 million is available for local and regional roads this year and I understand only a fraction of that has been spent. I understand why that is, namely, because of the bad weather, but we want local authorities to get out there now in the good weather and with the longer evenings to spend the €417 million improving and restoring our regional and local roads. In the meantime the Government will work on additional funding following the storms.