asked the Minister for Local Government when he intends to provide a county road improvement grant for County Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Dublin Road Grants.
29.
Having regard to the volume of more pressing claims on the Road Fund, it was not possible to allocate a grant for the improvement of county roads in County Dublin in the current financial year.
At this stage it would not be possible to forecast future prospects of making grants available for this purpose to Dublin County Council.
Does the Minister not agree that, since he provides Dublin Corporation and Dún Laoghaire Borough Council with urban road improvement grants, County Dublin should have the same entitlement?
No. Ninety-eight per cent of Dublin County Council's roads had been provided with a dust-free surface as long as 1963-64 and in view of the position in the rest of the country it was decided that it was not justifiable to allocate money for this purpose to County Dublin where the roads had already been brought up to the desired standard.
But, in effect, is this not penalising a road authority for improving its roads and bringing them up to that standard?
No.
The Minister has an intimate knowledge of the roads in County Dublin and he must know that they are totally inadequate for the traffic they are carrying at the present time.
Some of the roads are carrying traffic that they are not fit to carry and if Dublin County Council would look after that aspect of the problem it would pay them well.
They are looking for the normal aids that people get when there is a big job to be done.