Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will, absolutely. As I stated at the outset, however, it is the function of the individual local authority to prioritise the funding and where the allocation goes, and to work with the Department in respect of particularly unforeseen circumstances such as the weather events we have spoken about and in terms of road repair or maintenance that could be impacted by the severe weather or rainfall events which unfortunately we are having all too often.

In addition to this, the Minister has allocated over €16 million from the climate change adaptation and resilience grant to build resilience into the road network and mitigate against future events. There is additional funding there. Monaghan County Council was allocated over €17 million this year for the maintenance and improvement of regional roads, and that was an increase of €840,000 on the 2023 allocation. It is quite significant. I absolutely appreciate the point the Senator is making about the additional cost per kilometre of road resurfacing, particularly in connection with oil prices, which are driving the increase. It is important that local authorities work with the Department to ensure the resources they are allocated are used wisely and where they are needed, particularly where there are significant challenges such as where weather events have caused erosion of road surfaces and potholes. The case the Senator pointed out was challenging for that family.

I have an additional list of some of the specific projects in Monaghan that were allocated funding in 2024, for specific grant improvement schemes. They add to the additional funding that has already been provided to Monaghan County Council. I will give a commitment to go back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and speak to him about this specifically. I think probably what we are looking at is a sustained investment in our roads programme given the challenges being faced across the country, for which local authorities are picking up the tab, particularly due to weather events.