BY DAVID FORSYTHE

LOCAL authorities will not receive additional funding this year to offset rising fuel, bitumen and construction material costs, despite concerns that inflation and severe weather damage are placing increasing pressure on road maintenance budgets.

Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien confirmed that all funding available under the 2026 Regional and Local Roads Grant Programme has already been allocated and gave no indication that additional money would be provided later in the year.

The issue was raised in parliamentary questions from TDs Michael Murphy, Keira Keogh and John Paul O’Shea, who sought clarification on whether councils would receive extra support to deal with inflationary pressures and the cost of repairing roads damaged by storms and severe weather.

In response, Mr O’Brien said €718m had been allocated nationally for regional and local roads in 2026, with approximately 90% of the funding earmarked for road maintenance and renewal works. However, he indicated that local authorities would be expected to absorb rising costs within their existing budgets.

‘All funding available through this grant programme was allocated to local authorities in February this year,’ the minister said. He said councils had been advised to set aside contingency funding from both department allocations and their own resources to deal with additional costs that may arise during the year, including inflation and severe weather events.

West Cork Cllrs have repeatedly called for additional funding for road maintenance on the N71 national route and regional routes such as the R595 where potholes and subsidence are regular hazards for motorists.

They have also requested a meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) over what some have described as the ‘deplorable state’ of stretches of the N71 which they claim is ‘not fit for purpose’ as a national route.

Mr O’Brien acknowledged that local authorities are under pressure to deliver road maintenance and improvement programmes within their existing budgets and accepted that increases in oil prices could affect contracts, costs and the amount of work that can be completed.

‘I am aware of the pressure local authorities are under to deliver their work programmes within their existing budgets this year and that oil price increases may impact contracts, prices, and outputs,’ he said.

The minister said road maintenance and rehabilitation works are particularly vulnerable to rising costs because they rely heavily on oil-based products and bitumen.

‘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,’ he said.

‘As such, it is likely that local authorities may have to undertake additional prioritisation to account for this.’

Minister O’Brien said mechanisms allowing for price variation can be used within contracts where applicable, but stopped short of offering any additional State funding to offset inflationary pressures.

Under the Roads Act, responsibility for maintaining and improving regional and local roads rests with local authorities, with State grants supplementing councils’ own resources.