asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the up-to-date position on the implementation of the Derry-Donegal cross-Border communication link in supplement to a reply to a Parliamentary Question on 22 November 1979.
Written Answers. - Cross-Border Link.
620.
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Professor Dooge)
In the joint North-South progress report on this area which was issued by the two Governments in June 1980 and a copy of which is in the Dáil Library, a detailed account was given up to that stage of progress being made in the implementation of the Derry-Donegal Communications Study which was completed in November 1977. The following account gives an updating of the 1980 progress report so far as Donegal in concerned.
(A) Roads (Co. Donegal)
The first stage of the road programme for North Donegal as recommended by the consultants is being implemented in full.
1980 Financing
Road grants allocated for work in the Donegal section of the study area in 1980 included £383,000 for schemes on the Letterkenny-Derry Road (National Primary N13); £75,000 for Lifford-Pluck Cross (N14); £20,000 for the Lifford by-pass part 1; £25,000 for Letterkenny by-pass and £197,000 for the Stranorlar/Letterkenny route (including Kilmacrennan Bridge section). In addition to the above grants totalling £700,000 a general block grant of £825,000 was allocated to Donegal County Council for 1980 for work at the discretion of the council on roads other than national roads.
1981 Financing
Road grants allocated for work in the Donegal section of the study in 1981 include £310,000 on the Letterkenny-Derry Road (National Primary N 13); £20,000 for the completion of the Lifford by-pass, £50,000 for the Letterkenny by-pass; £150,000 for the Stranorlar/Letterkenny route; £30,000 for Kilmacrennan Bridge (South, N56), and £80,000 for strengthening works at various locations on the N14 and N56. In addition to the above grants totalling £640,000 a general block grant of £1,170,000 has been allocated to Donegal County Council for 1981 for work on roads at the discretion of the council on roads other than national roads.
The detailed position regarding the road improvements in Donegal is as follows:
Inter-Urban Roads
(i) Letterkenny-Pluck Cross, N13 National Primary Outline design has been completed, a detailed ground survery has been carried out and detailed road design is almost complete. Subject to the availability of finance it is planned to commence construction in 1983.
(ii) Bridgend-Pluck Cross, N13 National Primary
Two remaining sections of this route are included in current improvements programmes:
a. One mile at Manorcunningham adjoining Letterkenny-Pluck Cross route.
b. Newtowncunningham by-pass.
Scheme a. Construction of the scheme is almost completed.
Scheme b. Design stage for this scheme has been completed. Land acquisition proceedings are in progress.
(iii) Letterkenny-Kilmacrennan, N56 National Secondary
Detailed design has been completed for 1½ mile section of this route adjoining Letterkenny. Improvement work at a bridge on the route, south of Kilmacrennan, is completed and the bridge is open to traffic.
(iv) Strabane-Lifford, N14 National Primary
The proposal involves a through pass at Lifford and includes two schemes
a. The Strabane-Letterkenny link
b. The Strabane-Ballybofey link
Scheme a is open to traffic.
Scheme b was not included in the programmed drawn up by the consultants but is however scheduled in the County Programme for the second half of the 1980s. Detailed design has been completed and land acquisition by CPO confirmed.
(v) Urban through routes Letterkenny
A scheme linking the Letterkenny/Pluck Cross and Letterkenny/Kilmacrennan Roads has been in progress since 1977 and was opened to traffic early in 1979. Work is continuing on the improvement of Letterkenny-Pluck Cross road in the urban area of Letterkenny. It is intended to complete this work in 1982.
(B) Tourism co-operation — North-West Tourism Co-operation Group.
Arising out of the Derry/Donegal study this group, which was established in 1979, was the first body representative of both tourist boards and works with private and public sector interests in identifying tourism development and promotional needs of the combined area. A North-West of Ireland-West of Scotland car ferry feasibility study was undertaken along with the planning of a new map-brochure covering counties Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. This brochure was launched last March and was the second in a series of three brochures spanning the entire length of the Border. The group is continuing to examine initiatives in the Derry-Donegal area.
(C) Telecommunications
As mentioned in the progress report of June 1980 the conversion to automatic working of 57 telephone exchanges in North Donegal is proceeding as part of a £6.5 million development programme for the improvement of telecommunications in the area. Six exchanges were converted to automatic functioning in 1980.
So far in 1981 five further exchanges have been converted and it is planned to convert two more before the end of the year. It is hoped to convert all the remaining manual exchanges within the next two years. Methods of speeding up the conversion programme are currently being considered. Some of the delays to the programmed were caused by an industrial dispute by the equipment contract installation staff early in 1981.
The Dublin-Sligo radio link was commissioned in March 1981 and it is hoped to bring the Sligo-Letterkenny link to service before the end of the year.
It is hoped to provide direct dialling between most automatic exchanges in the Republic and all Northern Ireland exchanges in 1982.
(D) Postal Services
In relation to the postal services, routing of mail to and from Dublin via Northern Ireland was restored in July 1980. This has resulted in early delivery of mail to North Donegal and later times for the dispatch of mail for North Donegal.
(E) Air Transport
The cross-Border communications study recommended that the Governments should jointly examine in greater detail the possibility of establishing a Dublin-Derry air link initially with financial support made available to the selected operator for a trial period. Although the British Government were unwilling to jointly subsidise such an air link, the Irish Government decided in March 1981 that negotiations be initiated with an airline company to provide a scheduled service between Dublin and Derry with a subsidy from the Irish Department of Transport. Since 8 May 1981 Avair Ltd. a wholly Irish-owned company has been operating a scheduled service between Dublin and Derry, two return flights daily Monday to Friday, inclusive. The fare fixed at the beginning of the operation was IR£24 per single flight; this has been increased to IR£26.
(F) Public Passenger Transport
Prior to the private takeover of the Lough Swilly Bus Company the Irish Government had been providing short-term support for the company through CIE. This bus company provides road passenger services from Derry serving the northern half of Donegal and it is virtually the only public transport service in that area. The Northern Ireland Department of the Environment have consistently maintained that they are not in a position to provide financial assistance to the company. The assistance offered to the Lough Swilly Bus Company was extended to the new owner of the company in May 1980 and discussions between CIE and the Lough Swilly Bus Company have been continuing as to the amount of financial support necessary for the continuation of road passenger operations.