asked the Minister for Local Government whether, in view of the fact that county roads in South Kerry are still in a very bad condition and that the ratepayers are unable to meet the additional expense in making them suitable for modern requirements, he will make a special allocation from the Central Road Fund in the next financial year for the repair of these roads; and, if so, whether he will state the amount of the proposed grant.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - South Kerry County Roads.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether, in view of the exceptionally high rate in County Kerry and the inability of the local authority to bring the roads, which are in a very bad condition, up to a proper standard of repair without increasing the rates still more, he will consider giving a special grant out of the Road Fund for the coming financial year to enable the local authority to carry out the necessary repairs to the roads, together with meeting their other commitments.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 44 and 45 together.
The Kerry County Council have already been informed of the maximum Road Fund grants which can be made available for road works in the county during the coming financial year. These grants, which are very substantial, are as follows:—
Special main road grant £28,200
Special county road grant £64,400
In addition, 40 per cent. of approved expenditure on main road upkeep will be recouped to the council.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the amounts which he has stated have been given to the local authority in the County Kerry are no more than the local authority was entitled to get in any case? Is he further aware that the present deplorable condition of the roads in the County Kerry is due, to a great extent, to the abnormal traffic that went over the roads in Kerry, and in a few other counties, during the emergency in order to supply the national requirements in fuel? In view of that, will he not agree that there is a corresponding duty on the State to make a contribution to local funds so as to enable the local authority to bring those roads back into such a condition as will enable the local authority to maintain them out of ordinary revenue?
I would agree with the Deputy to this extent that, in as much as the Road Fund had accumulated very much during the war, some scheme should have been devised when these accumulated funds were being allocated to county councils so that a proportion of them might have been allocated to counties such as Kerry whose roads had suffered so much during the war, due to turf transport, but unfortunately that was not done.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that instead of doing anything in that direction, the Government cut down the grant substantially last year, and is there not a precedent for the giving of a special grant? The precedent was established last year in less justifiable circumstances. Does the Parliamentary Secretary not recollect that?
Not unless you quote an example of the case you have in mind.
The County Dublin is the example where there was no production of fuel or no abnormal haulage on the roads at any time.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the fact that the Deputy made a statement down in Kerry last Sunday week to the effect that we were spending too much altogether out of the Central Fund, and that it was now costing millions more to run the State than it was when Fianna Fáil left office?
I think that the Kerry Deputies may settle this among themselves.
What I said was that the Government were spending too much in certain wrong directions but not enough in the right directions.
For the Deputy's information I would like to say that I am aware that the present method of allocating the entire proceeds of the Road Fund is in accordance with a practice which has been in operation for years.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary state——
Question No. 46.