asked the Minister for the Environment if agreement has been reached on the location of the Dundalk western by-pass; and when the findings of the joint commission will be published.
Written Answers. - Dundalk Western By-Pass.
554.
The study of the Newry-Dundalk road jointly commissioned by the Irish and United Kingdom Governments was published on 3 December 1984. It recommends that a new road should be constructed between Balriggen, County Louth and Killeen Bridge, County Armagh, through Glendooey. The new road would link up with the Western by-pass of Dundalk at Balriggan.
On 28 November 1984, I met Mr. Chris Patten MP., Parliamentary Under-Secretary responsible for the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. We discussed the report and accepted the consultants technical and environmental appraisal of the proposed line of the road. We decided that more information was required on the financial and technical issues, including cost sharing, before a final decision could be taken and agreed that officials should meet to clarify outstanding questions. A decision will be taken early in 1985 on the points at issue in relation to the new road.