Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has announced a record €618m investment programme in the regional and local roads network for 2008 - the biggest ever grant by Government for regional and local roads.

This year is the first time the Department of Transport has assumed responsibility for the administration of this budget from the Department of the Environment.

The investment is to be divided as such; €310m for pavement improvement and maintenance; €188m for road improvement schemes; €8.5m to address accident blackspots and €7.5m for regional road signposting.

Speaking about the investment, Minister Dempsey said: "This year I've put road safety as a key plank of the non-national road allocations. The Governments new Road Safety Strategy published last October identified the importance of investment in the regional and local roads network.

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"While safety is central to all road improvement and maintenance work I have specifically allocated €8.5m in this years allocations to tackle accident blackspots. I have also prioritised €7.5m for regional road signposting which will benefit all road users."

Since 1996 road restoration work costing in excess of €1.75bn was undertaken, benefiting 47,000 kilometres of road.

A further €559m was spent over the past 10 years on road maintenance works to make our roads better and more importantly safer.

The Minister said: "I have allowed 50% of the total available funds - €310m - for the Pavement Restoration Programme, which is intended to improve 2,500 kilometres of road this year and will surface dress a further 4,200 kilometres. In addition €188m will be spent on over 300 specific road improvements schemes right around the country."

He stressed the importance of local authorities in the improvement and maintenance of the regional and local roads network.

"State grants are a supplement to expenditure by the local authorities. All authorities need to maintain and even increase their own expenditure on their road networks," the Minister added.

(VB/JM)