asked the Minister for Local Government how many plans for the widening and improvement of the T.1 road from Delvin Bridge, Gormanston, County Meath to the Drogheda boundary have been submitted to his Department by Meath County Council; and what is the present position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Gormanston-Drogheda Road
23.
There has been no formal submission of plans for this work to my Department by the Meath County Council. The preparation of an appropriate scheme of improvement has been engaging the attention of the county engineering organisation for some time in consultation with my Department at technical level and has not yet reached finality.
Does the Minister say that no plans have been submitted by the Meath County Council engineering staff to his Department? Is he not aware that the county engineer has informed the council that at least five plans have been submitted to the Department, all of which have been rejected? Would the Minister consider putting an end to this matter? A scheme is required between Julians-town and Drogheda and it has been held up because nobody can say which side of the road should be dealt with.
In my reply, I said no formal submission——
A nice word.
——of plans has been made to my Department and there must be quite a distinction between what I said in my reply——
The word "formal" does not appear in my question. Formal or otherwise——
It appears in my reply.
It should not.
Yes, it should.
I did not ask that question. I asked how many plans had been submitted to the Department.
As Minister for Local Government, I am concerned only with formal plans.
Is the Minister aware that three years ago £100,000 was allocated for this road, that last year £100,000 was allocated and that this year there was nothing at all? Does he appreciate the fact that we shall get further away from the point of doing anything——
The fact that we provided money the year before last and last year and that it was not utilised was the reason it was not provided this year. If nothing is being done with it there, it can be and is being utilised somewhere else.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I should like permission to raise the subject matter of this question on the Adjournment.
I shall communicate with the Deputy.