asked the Minister for the Environment when it is expected that the Government's commitment to building a roadway on the Southern Cross Route in south County Dublin will be fulfilled.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - South County Dublin New Roadway.
21.
I have recently approved, in principle, proposals of Dublin County Council for the construction of a new road between Red Cow on the Naas Road and Harold's Grange, and it is now a matter for the council to proceed with the preparation of detailed plans and estimates for the scheme.
I have, furthermore, given approval to the council for a new section of road in the south-west area of the county between Tallaght Road and Greenhills Road and I have allocated a grant of £250,000 towards the cost of work in the current year.
The foregoing action is in accordance with the commitment to which the Deputy refers.
Would the Minister accept that, in spite of the information he has given, the question I put down has not been answered. I asked when it was anticipated that the Government's commitment in this regard would be fulfilled. Will it be the subject of another promise three days before the next general election or will there be some serious progress by then?
The Government's commitment will be fulfilled as soon as it is practical to do so.
That is like finding jobs. Will the Minister accept that the people who live in this vicinity, in which ordinary life is being made a misery by the enormous excess of traffic on roads which were not built for it, will be very disappointed at the extremely dismissive and vague nature of his reply? I have one more matter to put to the Minister.
The Deputy has had a good share.
I have had two questions today.
I have it marked down as three. There is not a quota system, and the Deputy may ask another question.
I am asking it now because you are obliging me to do so, but I have not yet had an answer to the second supplementary.
I do not think the second question really was a question as such.
The truth is the Minister is not able or willing to answer it. When will the road be built? What will I tell the people in the constituency about this road, to the building of which no one less than the present Taoiseach gave a personal commitment three days before the last election via Senator Ryan, the buzzing brain centre of the Fianna Fáil election programme?
A road grant of £250,000 was allocated to Dublin County Council in 1978 for a new link road in the south-west district. Proposals for the expenditure of this grant were received from the council on 6 June 1978. They involved the construction of a link road between Greenhills Road and Tallaght Road and the proposed alignment for the Western Parkway Road. The council were advised on 10 August that there was no objection to the proposals. The scheme represents the first phase of the construction of the Western Parkway-Southern Cross route.
Would the Minister accept that, as the residents of the district have made clear, this work is beginning from the wrong end? The construction at the south-western end will attract yet more heavy traffic onto these unsuitable roads.
Do not put the Chair in the position of having to object.
It will not be the fault of this Government if this proposal is not carried through quickly.
(Interruptions.)
Order. I am calling Question No. 22.
Our Government never made promises we would not stand over. It was the Minister's party who made the promise.
This road will be built.
We do not believe in robbing the people and making fools of them as well.