asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that the Kildare County Council has been compelled to abandon the maintenance of county roads on the canal sides in the townlands of Rheban, Allenwood, Killina, Kilpatrick, Technevin and Ardlough, as his Department would not sanction the necessary expenditure because of certain conditions stipulated by the Grand Canal Company, and if he will consider the introduction of legislation with a view to empowering the county council to restore those roads and maintain them in a condition suitable for the public need.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maintenance of Kildare Roads.
The roads to which the Deputy refers are tracks along the banks of the Grand Canal in County Kildare. They are not public roads, and the county council has no power to incur expenditure on their maintenance. Under an agreement made in 1918 with the Grand Canal Company the county council maintained certain of these canal tracks. Subsequently the agreement was found to be invalid and the expenditure on maintenance illegal. In 1934 the council applied to the Minister for authority to cease maintaining part of the tracks as they had been doing. As the tracks were not public roads they needed no authority to abandon them. It is not proposed to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by the Deputy.