Road Network
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-27
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Charlie McConalogue (FF), Donegal

I thank Deputy Brennan for raising this matter. I have been asked to respond to him on behalf of the Minister for Transport on the issues he has raised here.
Storm Chandra, as the Deputy outlined, brought severe winds, prolonged heavy rain and extensive flooding across multiple regions of the country. It caused significant disruption to our regional and local roads and communities, with the intense rainfall leading to several rivers bursting their banks and extensive surface flooding. More than 120 roads were rendered impassable and over 400 were reported to be significantly damaged. The local authorities in counties Wicklow and Wexford, among others, reported high levels of damage and the need for the provision of additional funding to remediate it.
The Government is committed to continuing to protect our regional and local roads network. This is known to be fundamental in connecting our people and communities and facilitates access to business, education and healthcare, as well as the provision of other critical services. Our regional and local road network spans over 96,000 km, and each local authority is statutorily responsible for the maintenance and improvement of the regional and local roads within their area of responsibility. All work undertaken is funded from their own resources and supplemented by the regional and local roads grant programme operated by the Department of Transport. It is also the role of local authorities to prioritise the investment in and work on their regional and local roads.
The funding provided via the regional and local roads grant programme is intended to supplement realistic contributions from each local authority. It is also advised that each local authority sets aside a contingency from its allocation from the Department of Transport and its own resources for severe weather events that might take place. Allocations from this grant programme were communicated to local authorities on 17 February. In total, €718 million was made available this year to eligible local authorities for their regional and local roads. This was an increase in funding on 2025 and facilitated an increase of €26 million for road protection and renewal works.
Because of the pressures on the regional and local road network, the primary focus for capital investment under the regional and local road grant programme is on the maintenance and renewal of the network, the implementation of the strategic regional and local road projects identified for development - subject to necessary approvals - in the national development plan and targeted minor safety schemes across the regional and local road network.
Wexford County Council was allocated over €23 million, with the majority of this amount determined to be spent on the protection and renewal of County Wexford’s regional and local road network. Wicklow County Council was allocated almost €15 million, again for protection and renewal. In both cases, the allocation for 2026 was higher than that of 2025.
The Department of Transport's grant funding for regional and local roads is determined on as equitable a basis as possible to eligible local authorities. This is based on the length of the road network in the local authority area. The Department has liaised with those local authorities impacted by Storm Chandra to assess the damage and remediation needed. Means to address the additional costs to local authorities are under consideration.
The most pertinent part of the reply is the last couple of lines, which indicate that means to address the additional costs for local authorities are under consideration. The Deputy outlined very clearly the asks from Wicklow and Wexford County Councils and the specifics in relation to the damage done to both counties. I recall that, thankfully, my part of the country, for once, escaped the brunt of this but it was quite acute in those counties. I remember seeing the scenes at the time and the damage that still pertains from that can be very much seen, as the Deputy outlined.
Certainly, after the Deputy raising it here today, I will relay his frustration in relation to the fact that there is not an answer yet on the request for additional funding. The Department is indicating that it is under consideration.
Obviously, while it is under consideration, the roads remain to be fixed in some instances. That is something that the Deputy is very keen to have addressed. I will relay that back to the Department and ask it to follow up promptly with the Deputy and with the county councils in Wicklow and Wexford to bring this matter to a conclusion.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:04+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-27