The rural roads of County Wexford and parts of south Wicklow are deadly dangerous. They are literally disintegrating before our eyes. It is not a recent problem, as they have been at the bottom of the list in intercounty studies for the past 30 years. Recent floods have completely wrecked them. Despite this, it was announced today that County Wexford is now going to receive less funding for roads than it did last year. I want to the draw the Taoiseach's attention to the Civil Liability Act 1961, which says that there is a duty of care to maintain roads in a condition that is safe to all users. These roads are completely unsafe. As the road funding to local authorities is being finalised this week, I ask the Government to reconsider the crazy decision announced today to reduce funding to County Wexford, where roads are already disintegrating and really dangerous. I ask that the decision be reconsidered. I suggest that the funding be based on road condition rather than road length, which is the existing policy, because it is completely failing County Wexford and south Wicklow. Everybody is saying that these roads are really unsafe and horrendously dangerous. Thirty-four councillors in County Wexford and eight Oireachtas Members are saying it. There is cross-party agreement on this. Today's decision is really a kick in the teeth.

I will communicate the issue the Deputy has articulated to the Minister for Transport. In general, road funding is increasing across the board. There are significant increases this year. I do not have the specific county allocations, but I will raise the issue that the Deputy has raised with the Minister. In the context of the flooding and so forth, estimates are coming back in from local authorities in respect of that. I have told the Department of Transport to tell the local authorities to fix those roads that have been damaged by the floods.