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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Mar 1971

Vol. 252 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Bridge.

69.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the dangerous condition of the bridge at Carndonagh, County Donegal, with particular reference to pedestrian needs; and if he will make a special grant available for the construction of a pedestrian walk.

I am aware of conditions at Carndonagh bridge. Responsibility for the carrying out of improvements rests with Donegal County Council as the local road authority. I have been advised by the council that it is one of a number of bridges in need of improvement and I have suggested to the council that they should prepare a phased improvement programme on a priority basis to be financed out of their annual Road Fund grants. The council have this year accorded priority to another bridge and I await their recommendations for the coming year.

In view of the extreme danger in the case of this particular bridge would the Minister not consider giving a special grant for the construction of a pedestrian walk?

No. I have no power to give a special grant in this case. This is a matter for Donegal County Council, of which Deputy Harte is a member, and to which my Parliamentary Secretary has already written requesting the county council to make provision in next year's estimates to enable the work that Deputy Harte, a member of that county council, is now asking questions about here. I suggest the best place for the Deputy to make his case is to his own council when he attends the meetings of that council. The council have already drawn up a priority list and this is not No. 1. No. 1 is being proceeded with. There is no money at my disposal to enable me to make any grants for the Carndonagh bridge.

I thank the Minister for his kind advice but I would not have put down the question if I had not already had the matter discussed at the local county council meeting. I want to know from the Parliamentary Secretary if a recommendation came from the county council and was he consulted by his Parliamentary Secretary in the matter and, if so, is he still of the opinion that, because he cannot find £500 or £600 to do this——

The Deputy is making a statement.

I am asking the Minister if he is aware of these things and if he is aware of the already grave rate burden on the ratepayers in Donegal from the point of view of road repairs and improvements. If they use money for the purpose for which I am asking for a special grant from the Minister some other deserving cause will have to be shelved. Surely Deputy Cunningham, the Minister's Parliamentary Secretary, has more influence with the Minister for Local Government, enough influence to get the Minister to give us £1,000.

The Deputy is making a speech.

If Deputy Harte, a member of the Donegal County Council, cannot get the work done then he must not have a great deal of influence with his own county council.

The Minister's Parliamentary Secretary is not sufficiently interested to get the money to do the job.

The position is quite clear. The Department makes money available to the Donegal County Counvided cil from the Road Fund for the improvement of main roads and the local authority decides where that money will be spent. It is up to the Donegal County Council to make a decision to make £500 available, if this is an accurate estimate of the cost, to carry out this work which Deputy Harte claims is of such urgency. I agree this bridge is used by a number of people and the work is necessary but it is quite dishonest of the Deputy to come in here and try to indicate that it is the Minister who is responsible. I certainly have no responsibility and I do not shirk responsibility.

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