426. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current situation with respect to the maintenance of roadways which provide access to forestry as well as to private dwellings; who maintains responsibility for the resurfacing of such roads; if such roads can be upgraded to a public road standard for public vehicle use or must they remain as a forest road suitable for forestry operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46509/26]

The maintenance of local public roads is a matter for local authorities.

My Department licences and provides grant aid for the construction of internal forest roads. In doing so, my Department assesses applications and, where appropriate, consults with the relevant local authority before making a decision whether to grant a licence to build a forest road or widen an existing entrance from a public road. The surface of the forest road will be such that it will suit the use by timber lorries and emergency vehicles and will not normally be surfaced in the same way as a public road. Forest road standards are laid out in the ‘Forest Roads Manual’ (COFORD, 2006).

The responsibility for the management and maintenance of private forest roads rests with the individual forest owner.