asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make an up-to-date report on the progress of the Donegal/Derry cross-border study; and if he will list the schemes (a) which have been completed, (b) now being dealt with and (c) yet to be started.
Written Answers. - Donegal-Derry Cross-Border Study.
529.
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. On 18 November 1981, in a written answer to a question from Deputy Mervyn Taylor, the then Minister for Foreign Affairs gave an updating of the 1980 progress report so far as Donegal was concerned. The following is an updating of the progress outlined in the 1980 joint progress report and in the former Minister's written answer of 18 November 1981.
(A) Roads (County Donegal)
The first stage of the road programme for North Donegal as recommended by the consultants is being implemented in full.
Road grants allocated for work in the Donegal section of the study in 1982, including supplementary grants allocated from the Government's additional capital investment of £470,000 on the Letterkenny/Derry road (National Primary N13); £175,000 for the Stranorlar/Letterkenny route; £55,000 for strengthening works at various locations on the N15 and N56; £10,000 for road signs on the National Primary routes, and £100,000 for improvement works on proposed regional roads. In addition to these grants totalling £810,000, a general block grant of £1,212,100 has been allocated to Donegal County Council for 1982 for work, 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, National Primary Route N13.
Outline design has been completed, a detailed ground survey has been carried out and detailed road design is almost complete. Subject to the availability of finance it is planned to commence construction in 1984.
(ii) Bridgend-Pluck Cross, National Primary Route N13.
Two of the remaining sections of this route are included in current improvement programmes: (a) Newtowncunningham By-Pass; (b) Bridgend By-Pass.
Scheme (a). Land acquisition proceedings in progress.
Scheme (b). Final design being completed. Land acquisition proceedings in progress.
(iii) Letterkenny/Stranorlar, National Secondary route N56. Work will continue on the improvement of this route near Bullock Park this year.
(iv) Urban through routes
Letterkenny
A scheme linking the Letterkenny/Pluck Cross and Letterkenny/ Kilmacrenna roads has been in progress since 1977 and was opened to traffic early in 1979. Designs have been prepared and land acquisition negotiations are well advanced for the improvement of the Portbridge/Kilmacrennan road at its junction with the Railway road and the bus station. Work will commence on this section this year and it is hoped to complete the relief road scheme from Portbridge to the Kilmacrennan road by the end of 1983.
(B) Telecommunications
To date 14 exchanges in North Donegal have been converted to automatic working. It is expected that another eight exchanges will be converted this year. 60 per cent of all subscribers in North Donegal will then have automatic service. Work towards converting the remaining exchanges is proceeding and all exchanges will be converted by 1984.
The Sligo-Letterkenny radio link will be in service by mid 1982.
Direct dialling between most automatic exchanges in the Republic and all Northern Ireland exchanges will be provided this year.
(C) Public Passenger Transport
Assistance is being provided to the Lough Swilly Bus Company through the agency of CIE in consideration of the continued provision by the company of road passenger services in the North Donegal area. Thirty seven secondhand buses, which have been acquired at a cost of £200,000, have been leased by CIE to the company. The cost of these buses is recouped to CIE by the Exchequer, half the cost coming from the Non-Quota Section of the European Regional Development Fund. In addition, CIE are making payments to the Swilly Company to assist with cash flow requirements arising out of losses being incurred on road passenger operations.
The question of continued assistance to the Swilly Company is now being reviewed with a view to submission to Government.