asked the Minister for Local Government if, in view of the large untarred mileage of roads in County Mayo, he will divert for two years the entire arterial and main road grants allocated to County Mayo towards the tarring of these roads.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Mayo Roads.
41.
Having regard to the deficiencies and overall needs of the national and regional roads in Mayo I could not agree to the diversion to the county roads of all the Road Fund moneys allocated to Mayo. Indeed, if there were a question of diverting the arterial and main road grants allocated to Mayo they would fall to be diverted to national and regional routes in other parts of the country urgently requiring attention in the interests of road safety. I may add that the total grant available to Mayo County Council for county road improvement this year amounts to £204,140, a sum which takes generous account of the nature of the problem of county road improvement in County Mayo.
In view of the large mileage of untarred roads in County Mayo, I think that Mayo County Council would agree if the Minister would transfer the arterial road grant and the main road grant to the work of tarring untarred roads in our county.
That could not be done. This money is allocated for the purpose of improving arterial roads and if it were to be diverted from these roads in Mayo it would have to be diverted to similar roads elsewhere. A county road improvement grant is a different matter altogether.
The position is that we have such a large mileage of untarred road that I do not think that within the next 30 years half the mileage of untarred road will be dealt with. Would the Minister be prepared to give some special concession in view of the fact that in our county we have such a large mileage of linkage and rough roads——
I am aware of the special problem in Mayo and that has been taken into account in the allocation of money for this purpose and it will continue to be taken into account. I am aware that there is a special problem there.