349. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Transport if he will provide extra funding for roads to Tipperary County Council, given the increased fuels costs that are impacting the amount of work it can do. [36721/26]

In 2026, Tipperary County Council was allocated a total of €49,379,670. Of this, €36,234,670 was allocated for the protection and renewal of Tipperary's regional and local roads.

In accordance with Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993, as amended, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads is the statutory responsibility of each local authority. Work on such roads is funded from Councils' own resources, supplemented by State road grants. The selection and prioritisation of work to be funded is a matter for local authorities.

For 2026, €718 million was allocated, through State road grants, for the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, with approximately 90% of this funding allocated to road maintenance and renewal. This is an increase in funding allocation of €26 million this year for road protection and renewal works.

The allocation to each eligible local authority is on as fair and equitable a basis as possible. In the main protection and renewal grant categories, it is based on the length of the road network within a local authority's area of responsibility, with some account taken of the level of traffic present.

All funding available through the 2026 Regional and Local Road Grant Programme was allocated to local authorities in February this year. It should be noted that Exchequer funding for regional and local roads is intended to supplement realistic contributions from local authorities’ own resources.

My Department is aware of the pressure local authorities are under to deliver their work programmes for regional and local roads within their existing budgets and that oil price increases may impact contracts, contract prices, and outputs. Where applicable, mechanisms within contracts for price variation can be utilised by contracting authorities. Road maintenance and rehabilitation is heavily dependent on oil products and bitumen and it is acknowledged that this work is affected by the increasing cost of materials.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and exchequer funding in relation to the National Roads Programme. Under the Roads Acts 1993-2015 and in line with the National Development Plan (NDP), the operation and management of individual national roads is a matter for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. This is also subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines and the necessary statutory approvals. In this context, TII is best placed to advise you in relation to this.

Noting the above position, I have referred your question to TII for a direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 working days.