The income from Motor Taxation is not retained locally by each Council for funding Road Maintenance Programmes. Accordingly Councils are not in a position to exercise discretion in the allocation of these funds at local level.
Motor taxation income is remitted to the Central Government and reallocated to Local Authorities either by the Department of Transport & Tourism in road grants or through the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government in the Local Government Fund allocation.
A recent UCC report commissioned by the Council demonstrates that Cork County Council has not received an appropriate share of the national Local Government Fund allocation over the period 1997-2011.
Over the period 2008 to 2013, the Local Government Fund Allocation from the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government to Cork County Council has decreased from €58m. to €33m.
Cork County Council has limited discretionary income sources to fund Roads maintenance outside these sources.
Commercial rates which represents 30% of revenue has been frozen at 2008 levels in an effort to respond to the pressure being experienced by business generally.
Planning application fees have fallen from €3.38m. in 2008 to €1.1m. in 2012.
Development contributions have fallen from €37.6m. in 2008 to €5.83m in 2012. This has had a considerable effect on the reduction in own resources expenditure on roads between 2008 to 2012.
During the period 2008 to 2013, total revenue expenditure of Cork County Council has been reduced from €360m. to €286m. reflecting falling income across both National Government Grants and local income sources.
Comparison between Urban and rural Counties need to reflect the significantly bigger road network per capita in Rural Counties and the relatively higher commercial rate base in Urban Counties.
Cork County Council has 10,318 kms. of Non National Roads.
Its Road infrastructure has been subject to severe weathers particularly since 2009 and indeed Cork County Council invested €6m. from its reserves, over and above its budget, in Spring 2010 to repair the severe damage from the Winter of 2009/10 and a further €2m. in mid 2011