Vol. 286 No. 3
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will arrange to have a substantial allocation of money directed in the coming year for the widening and improvement of the Ring of Kerry road from Caragh Bridge to the village of Glenbeigh and from Ballinakeela Bridge, west of Glenbeigh and the mountain stage, in view of the fact that the roads along the area mentioned are both narrow and difficult because of the bad bends and need urgent improvement.
25.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will request the Kerry county engineers to allocate a substantial part of the block grant allocated to County Kerry for the Ring of Kerry road west of Killorglin in order to have this section of road made available to the heavy lorries and other traffic that have difficulty getting through at present.
26.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will allocate a substantial sum of money for the widening and improvement of the national secondary road between Killorglin and Milltown, County Kerry, as the industrial development in the area has given rise to heavy vehicular traffic on this road in particular which it was never designed to take with the result that it is now dangerous for the ordinary users.
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 24, 25 and 26 together. They relate to sections of the national secondary road (N. 70) between Tralee and Caherciveen.
The Road Fund grants for 1975 have all been allocated and there are no funds available to me from which a specific grant for further works on this road may be made in 1975.
In the allocation of grants for national secondary road improvement for 1976, I shall of course have to take due account of the finances at my disposal, the needs of the public roads system generally and of individual routes such at N. 70.
As the purpose of the block grant is to supplement the provision from the local authorities' own funds for the improvement and upkeep of main roads, other than national roads, and for improvement works on county roads, and as I have devolved responsibility to the local authorities as to the use of this grant, it would not be appropriate for me to direct Kerry County Council to use a substantial part of their block grant on this national secondary road.
