andMr. D. Andrews asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the dangers caused to pedestrians, in particular the elderly, by the lack of maintenance of footpaths throughout Dublin city and county; and if he will make a special allocation of funds to the relevant local authority to carry out the necessary repairs.
Written Answers. - Maintenance of Footpaths.
309.
Mr. N. Andrews
Public roads, including footpaths, in Dublin city and county are the responsibility of Dublin Corporation, Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire Borough Council. Accordingly it is a matter for those authorities to ensure that footpaths in their areas are maintained to an adequate standard. Full cost road grants are provided by my Department in respect of maintenance works on national roads.
State grant assistance towards the cost of maintenance works on other roads is in the form of a block grant which supplements the resources of the local authority (including the rate support grant) for the maintenance and improvement of regional and urban roads and for the improvement of county roads. The determination of the amount of local authority resources and block grant to be apportioned to the repair of footpaths is a matter entirely within the discretion of the local authority.