asked the Minister for Local Government what steps are being taken by Dublin County Council to provide at Loughshinny, County Dublin, footpaths from Ballykea to Loughshinny village and from Ballykea to Thomastown Cross.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Loughshinny (Dublin) Footpaths.
15.
The formulation of proposals for the execution of works on the public roads in their area is a matter for the road authority. I understand that Dublin County Council decided to make no provision in the current financial year's estimates for the provision of the footpaths mentioned by the Deputy, but that this work will be listed for consideration by the council, with other similar proposals, in connection with next year's road works scheme.
I see the Minister skipped over the previous one in the hubbub going on.
What previous one?
So I suppose I am debarred from dealing with it now. Are we on No. 16 now?
No, 15.
I thought you had done a Blaney on that.
No.
On the question of footpaths, is the Minister aware that these local facilities are urgently needed? Is he content to leave the matter to junior members of his Party on the county council to whom he has referred? In the peculiar circumstances of this particular case—I shall not go into them in detail, although if the Minister wants me to I will—does he not feel that there is an obligation on himself to get this under way? Surely a word from him, the senior Deputy of the constituency——
No.
Is the Minister so concerned with the democratic process that he does not want to interfere with Dublin County Council? Does this apply even to rate-collecter appointments?
The Deputy should confine himself to a question.
There are very decent people living in that locality, some of them officals of the Minister's Party.
The Deputy must ask a question, nothing more.
In my capacity as Deputy for the constituency, I make representation to the proper source.
Which is?
Dublin County Council.
Have you done that?
Deputy Boland may have done that all right.
You are a Jekyll and Hyde then?
You ask me should I not interfere with Dublin County Council. I agree I should not and I do not.
You would want to go to Donegal for a while.
When will your friend, Mr. Kavanagh, and the others down there get what is called for in this question? I will make you do your duty by your own members.
As soon as the county council so decide.
You are dodging the issue. You have no sense of gratitude to the people down there at all.