asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make additional funds available to local authorities to remedy the serious damage done to roads due to weather conditions during winter months.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Weather Damage to Roads.
14.
I have already notified increased road grants for 1979, which absorb the total of the moneys available to me for road works in this year. The grants total £47.9 million, an increase of £10 million or 27 per cent over the corresponding allocations for 1978.
Was that increase due to inflation?
No.
Is it a genuine increase?
Yes. It is a 27 per cent increase over 1978. This is substantial.
Have the allocations for this year and future years been included in the ten-year programme for £1,000 million?
Allocations will continue to be made, increased under the ten-year plan.
That is not what I asked. I want to know if the normal allocations are part and parcel of the £1,000 million or will that amount be additional to the allocations to be made?
They will be part of the £1,000 million because a substantial amount of the road allocations is spent on national, primary and secondary roads which are the basis of the ten-year plan.
Apart from our winter weather, and in order that our roads might not break down off the main routes due to unduly heavy traffic, has the Minister any plans to limit the types and weights of vehicles that may be allowed to use particular roads?
That is a separate question. This question refers to damage to roads due to weather conditions during the winter months.
I am coming to that. This is an acute situation. Have any steps been taken to conserve our roads?
The Council of Transport Ministers are trying to reach agreement on agreed weights for all countries but they have failed to do so yet. Our axle weights are not as great as in some member countries. With regard to preventing them from using certain roads, the local authority in conjunction with the commissioner would be involved here. I have no immediate plans in my Department to do this but I will look at it because I can see the difficulties involved.