Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has questioned reports local authority funding for the maintenance of national and secondary roads may face cuts of up to 30 per cent.

"That's news to me and I will certainly check it out," he told Fianna Fáil Roscommon-Galway TD Eugene Murphy.

Mr Varadkar said he “can’t understand why there would be a cut of that nature in roads maintenance,” when the overall transport budget has been increased for next year and every year up to 2021.

Mr Murphy said the N4 running between Dublin and Sligo was a national road as was the N5 linking Longford town with Westport and both were included in the national plan for road improvement.

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But he said Transport Infrastructure Ireland had informed Roscommon County Council on Monday of a 17 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in road maintenance funding.

Mr Murphy appealed for the “massive cut” to be reversed as quickly as possible. “This will have consequences for safety and other issues along those roads,” he said.

Mr Murphy asked if other councils were affected.

Mr Varadkar said: “I will have the matter checked out.”