€36million allocated to Donegal’s regional and local roads

Donegal County Council has been allocated €36.22 million in funding for improving and maintaining roads across the county.

Every local authority will see an increase in grants for restoration and improvement, with overall grant funding increasing by 5%. Donegal will benefit from the fund which includes €928,000 for 14 climate adaptation projects which will help future-proof the county’s roads.

Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly said: “Investing in our roads structure is essential for connecting villages and towns along with supporting communities and businesses across Donegal. The overall safety of our roads is paramount. This funding will go a long way to making the roads of Donegal safer for all.”

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD, announced an investment programme. This represents an increase of €32m in funding this year to allow approximately 2,640km of regional and local roads to be maintained to required standards and a further 2,160km to be strengthened to improve the overall road quality on the network.

Welcoming the announcement, Donegal government Minister, Charlie McConalogue, said: “This allocation is part of a significant investment package of €658 million nationwide aimed at restoring the network which is essential for maintaining social and economic connectivity, linking people and places across the country. Central to this is the need to ensure that the journeys that people take are as predictable and as safe as possible.

"This investment for Donegal will allow us to repair, strengthen and maintain our roads across the region, ensuring they are fit for purpose. We are dedicating resources towards initiatives such as road repair, bridge rehabilitation, road safety measures, community engagement, drainage improvements, and climate change adaptation.

“A total of €16 million has been allocated for 335 climate change adaptation projects. I’m glad to say that 14 of those projects are in Donegal and they have been allocated a total of €928,000. I commend Donegal County Council and staff for their ongoing efforts in maintaining our roads network.

"I also extend my thanks to the local councillors across the county for the work they do in their respective communities. Maintaining and improving our road network is crucial to sustaining and developing our local economies across rural Ireland.”