AROUND £100m would be needed to bring the whole road network up to a good standard.

Infrastructure Minister David Cretney MHK revealed this figure in the House of Keys on Tuesday as part of a response to a question by Liberal Vannin member Kate Beecroft.

Douglas South MHK Mrs Beecroft asked what plans Mr Cretney - who is also a Douglas South MHK - had to prioritise basic road maintenance rather than capital schemes.

He told the chamber: "The department has made a clear decision to prioritise road maintenance over capital schemes.

"However, it would be wrong of me not to clarify what the current situation is as the question implies that capital will not be used for strategic maintenance."

He said the department has provision in the capital programme for strategic maintenance work of around £4.7m this year and there is provision in this year's budget to start design work on a scheme to reconstruct Peel Road and also Douglas Promenades.

Mr Cretney added there is also capital funding for £1m to start construction work on the Douglas Promenades scheme but there were some detailed discussions and approvals needed from outside the department before the physical work could start.

He said while the schemes are capital funded the nature of the work is almost entirely re-construction and maintenance orientated.

However the department's revenue budgets have been reduced in successive years and "at present there is insufficient funding to maintain the roads even in their current condition.

"Therefore a slow deterioration of the road network each year and annual revenue expenditure would need to be about £6m to stop this.

"In addition to the annual deterioration there is a backlog of around £100m of work that would be required to bring the whole network up to a good standard, although it is fully recognised there is a need to accept this as an inevitable consequence in the context of the current financial climate."