Roadworks Consent Applications for National Roads – Underground Telecommunications

Communications Regulation Act 2002, as amended

Applications by Network Operators to Carry Out Roadworks on National Roads

Consents for Roadworks on National Roads

Section 53(1) of the Communications Regulation Act, 2002, as amended, provides that no roadworks relating to underground telecommunications on national roads may be undertaken by network operators without the prior written consent of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) (formally, National Roads Authority).

National roads are prefixed with the letter ‘N’ or ‘M’. TII has no statutory functions in relation to consent applications concerning non-national roads, i.e. regional and local roads

“Roadworks” are defined in the Act as meaning

“the opening of a public road or any act or work that requires or causes the closing of a public road or part of a public road, including the opening or closing of a public road or part of a public road for the purposes of opening ducts, for the purpose of the establishment, extension, replacement, repair, removal or maintenance of works on electronic infrastructure”.

In accordance with the Act, network operators who intend to carry out roadworks on national roads for the purposes of:

  1. establishing underground electronic communications infrastructure and any associated physical infrastructure;
  2. extending the underground electronic communications network to parts of the road under which electronic communications infrastructure has not previously been placed by that network operator;
  3. carrying out roadworks on underground electronic communications infrastructure, being maintenance, repair, replacement or the addition or removal of underground electronic communications infrastructure

must first submit applications to TII and obtain consents for the roadworks concerned. Before deciding whether or not to grant a consent, TII is required under the 2002 Act to consult with the relevant road authority/ authorities in whose area(s) the proposed roadworks are to be carried out and to allow a period of up to 21 days for this purpose.

NOTES:

A network operator or a person engaged by the network operator who contravenes the provisions of section 53(1) of the Act is liable, on summary conviction, to fine not exceeding €5,000 or, on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €1,000,000.

In the event that proposed roadworks relate to sections of a national road and a non-national road, the application to TII should only relate to the national road element. A separate application should be made to the relevant road authority for the section of non-national road concerned.

TII Charges for the Roadworks on National Roads

A schedule of the charges that may be applied by TII is available here.

Making a Consent Application

Applications for consents to carry out telecommunications roadworks on national roads must be made through the MapRoad Roadworks Licensing (MRL) system, which is the national system for managing roadworks applications. Comprehensive information on using the system and the processes involved are provided in the Help/FAQs section of the site.

Further Information

For further information in relation to TII’s roles and responsibilities under the Act, including any queries relating to access to TII ducting, please contact us by email at roadworksunit@tii.ie or by post at the following address:

Roadworks Unit

Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Parkgate Business Centre

Parkgate Street

Dublin 8

D08 DK10

Tel:  (01) 646 3600

Fax: (01) 646 3601