asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether, with reference to the distribution of the Road Fund, any applications have been received in recent years for grants for the improvement of by-roads on which there is particularly heavy traffic by reason of their connecting industrial centres with main roads; whether the Road Fund can be utilised for such purposes; and, if so, whether he will state what is the procedure to be adopted by persons desiring to make representations in regard to a particular road requiring consideration of that kind.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Fund Grants for By-Roads.
The answers to the first and second parts of the question are in the affirmative. Representations must be made to the local authority concerned in the first instance.
Must the local authority give their approval before the Roads Department will consider a representation of that sort?
The local authority have to decide whether the road is one that should be brought into the scheme or not.
Is it not a fact that some of the local authorities have made application to the Minister's Department to be allowed to use certain moneys from the Road Fund for by-roads and is it not also a fact that the Department have refused that permission?
I am aware that certain local bodies have asked to be allowed to expend money on roads which they are not prepared to take continuously on their charge as roads to be maintained by the Roads Authority.
Is it not correct to state that in respect of the grants being given now it is insisted that the money be used only for maintenance and that there is to be no reconstruction?
During the present year it is proposed to expend a total of, approximately, £600,000 from the Road Fund. The Road Authorities have been asked to say what they are spending on maintenance this year, in order that the particular fraction of that £600,000 which must be kept aside for maintenance will be kept aside. Until the Road Authorities have enabled us to say how much of that £600,000 will be required for maintenance, I am not in a position to say how much of it will be available for improvement. I anticipate that maintenance charges will require about £200,000, but if local authorities were more up-to-date in letting us know what they were going to do under the head of maintenance, we would be in a position to let them know earlier how much was to be distributed to them in respect of improvements.
Am I to understand that after that sum of £400,000 for maintenance has been set aside £200,000 will be available for reconstruction?
Approximately.