asked the Minister for the Environment the reason for the delay in commencing the proposed major road improvement projects listed to commence in 1985.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Major Road Improvements.
6.
Four schemes have started already and satisfactory progress has been made in the pre-construction procedures relating to the other schemes scheduled to commence in 1985.
Regarding the 54 major schemes which will be commenced and completed during the period 1985 to 1987, 20 schemes are already in progress and work is expected to start on a further three schemes within a few months. Since the plan was published, nine public inquiries have been held and arrangements have been made to hold a further three inquiries within the next three months. Earlier this month Dublin County Council approved a toll scheme for the Road linking the Lucan Road and Navan Road in Dublin at a cost of over £25 million. This scheme should start next year. To date, State expenditure on road grants is some £2 million ahead of target.
Further particulars of the schemes referred to in my reply are included in a statement which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. Following is the statement:—
Progress Report on new Road Plan
The new Road Plan lists 54 major projects which will be commenced and/or completed during the period 1985 to 1987.
(1) 20 schemes are in progress:
—Navan Relief Road (Meath)
—Athlone By-Pass
—*Oranmore By-Pass (Galway)
—Roscrea By-Pass (Tipperary)
—Leighlinbridge By-Pass (Carlow)
—*Brownswood/Edermine (Wexford)
—Wexford By-Pass
—Midleton By-Pass (Cork)
—Waterford Bridge
—Dock Road/Ferrybank (Waterford)
—Slieverue By-Pass (Kilkenny)
—Askeaton By-Pass (Limerick)
—Mountgarret/Scarke (Wexford)
—Tallaght By-Pass (Dublin)
—*Southern Ring Road (Cork)
—Northern Ring Road (Cork)
—Opera House Bridge (Cork)
—Corrib Bridge (Galway)
—Inner Relief Road (Phase II), Dundalk
—*Chapelizod By-Pass (Dublin)
* The four schemes with an asterisk started this year.
(2) Work is expected to start within a few months on three schemes:
—Lucan By-Pass (Dublin)
—Mallow Street Bridge (Limerick)
—Blackrock By-Pass (Dublin)
(3) Since the plan was published, nine public inquiries have been held:
—Dunleer By-Pass (Louth)
—Navan Road (Dublin)
—Bray/Shankill
—Newtownmountkennedy (Wicklow)
—Port Road/Manorcunningham (Donegal)
—Limerick/Ballycasey
—Clanbrassil Street (Dublin)
—Patrick Street (Dublin)
—Dungarvan (Waterford)
(4) The Inspector's report on the Glanmire By-Pass inquiry in Cork is expected shortly.
(5) Three further inquiries will be held soon:
—Remaining 14 mile section of Cork/Mallow (June)
—Newbridge By-Pass (July)
—Downstream Crossing of River Lee (September)
(6) Without prejudice to the statutory procedures involved, the Government have no objection to proposals received from Conor Holdings Ltd. for funding a road linking the Lucan Road and the Navan Road at a cost of over £25 million. Dublin County Council approved the toll scheme for this route on 10 June, 1985, and the necessary public inquiry will be held later in the year. The scheme should start next year.
(7) The total State road grant for 1985 is £152.5 million. Between 1 January and 31 May, 1985, £54.5 million was paid to local authorities, which is £2 million more than scheduled in the monthly expenditure profile prepared at the beginning of the year.
Can the Minister inform the House which of the nine schemes have commenced? I understand from the document, Policy and Planning, Framework for Roads, published in January 1985 that the proposal was that nine major roadworks would commence this year. As we are now half way through the year I would appreciate the Minister informing the House which schemes have commenced and when the remainder are likely to commence?
The following is the present position regarding the schemes listed in the plan referred to. Work on the Chapelizod by-pass started at the end of May and the 1985 grant commitment in that regard is £1.755 million. The final engineering document in respect of the Lucan by-pass has been prepared and construction is expected to commence in the autumn. The grant commitment in that respect is £2.1 million. Work is in progress on the Oranmore by-pass in respect of which the grant commitment this year is £1.5 million. At the CPO public inquiry on 6 May objections were lodged in respect of the Newtownmountkennedy by-pass scheme. These objections are being considered and a decision is expected in the matter in July. The 1985 grant commitment in respect of that scheme is £500,000. In respect of the Brownswood-Edermine, Wexford road, work is in progress. The 1985 grant commitment in that regard is £1 million. Regarding the Port Road, Manorcunningham scheme, objections were registered at the CPO public inquiry on 4 March last. These are being considered and a decision in the matter is expected in July. The 1985 grant commitment in that respect is £0.625 million. Work is in progress on the Southern Ring Road in Cork in respect of which the 1985 grant commitment is £2.2 million. Contract documents are an an advanced stage of preparation in respect of the Blackrock by-pass. Advertising for tenders is likely to be in September and the work is expected to commence later in the year. In respect of that scheme the 1985 grant commitment is £1.3 million. Phase work is in progress on the Kilkenny inner relief road in respect of which the 1985 commitment is £0.4 million.
Can the Minister say how the Government could have published a programme for road construction works which were to commence in 1985 when the land had not even been acquired on which such roads were to be constructed? Am I to take the Minister's reply as indicating that in a number of cases compulsory purchase orders have not been finalised, and had not been finalised at the time these dates were inserted in the Government's programme, giving a false impression of the amount of capital which would be invested in road construction in 1985? Is the Minister aware that the major companies involved in road construction have stated recently that 75 per cent of their machinery is lying idle in yards awaiting the Government release of the major road works programme they announced and to which they are committed? Surely it is clear that a lot of these road works cannot possibly commence in 1985 because advanced planning had not been completed and, in many cases, the land had not even been purchased?
Not in many cases. I mentioned the Newtownmountkennedy by-pass CPO having taken place on 6 May and another, in the case of the Port Road, Manorcunningham in Donegal, where objections to the scheme and a CPO inquiry were made on 13 March 1985 and which are being considered. Those are the only two where the CPO hold-up could be advanced as an excuse for not perhaps commencing on time. These are the procedures people are entitled to follow in the case of these major contracts. I also stated, in reply to the Deputy, that the programme is running £2 million ahead of target. Therefore I am satisfied that progress in general is not only on target but is ahead of target at this time.
No, the Minister said that expenditure was running £2 million ahead of target. It is very easy to run expenditure ahead of whatever target one is talking about because, in many cases, one is paying for work done last year. Is the Minister not aware that CPOs, from the time of initiation to completion, have taken up to eight years, and that it was very wrong of the Government to include any proposal commencement in 1985 where there was a CPO involved because of the long delay and tortuous procedures which apply to CPOs? Surely the Minister must admit that it was somewhat optimistic, and not the proper thing to do, to include works, indicating that they would be commenced, when in fact the land had not even been acquired or the designing completed, as has been indicated from some of these replies?
The Deputy appears to be clutching at two straws in endeavouring to make a case which is not a valid one. Progress on the roads programme is moving ahead. I have indicated what is the situation in regard to the nine projects for this year. In only two cases is the CPO in question.
In view of the major contribution which the East Link toll bridge has made to the easement of the traffic situation in Dublin, can the Minister outline for us what is the present position in regard to the proposed second toll bridge across the Liffey in the Lucan area?
In my reply I indicated proposals for a road linking the Lucan Road and the Navan Road. The Deputy will be much more conversant with that area than I am. In my reply I said that Dublin County Council had approved the toll scheme for that road at a cost of £25 million and that this scheme would start next year. That is all the information I have on that road at this time.
I am talking about the bridge, an application by the same people who built the East Link, who have an application in for a second toll bridge which everybody agrees would effect an enormous easement of traffic congestion in that area. Can the Minister tell us what is the position about that second application?
Dublin County Council approved the toll scheme for this route on 10 June 1985 and the necessary public inquiry will be held later in the year. The scheme should start next year. That is all the information I have at this stage. This is the Conor Holdings Limited proposal. I assume that the Leader of the Opposition is referring to that proposal?
I do not know what is the technical name but it is very clearcut: there is a major bridge proposed across the Liffey out in that area which is the subject of an application from private interests; I do not know what their name is. What is the position about that application? Is the Minister aware that the first toll bridge, the East Link, is making an enormous contribution to easing the traffic situation in Dublin? I hope we will not have the same long period of delay in having the second toll bridge brought in operation.
I think I am right in referring to the Conor Holdings Limited proposal as being the one in respect of the bridge to which the Deputy is adverting. The Government have no objection to the proposal received from Conor Holdings Limited and the relevant scheme should start next year.
The Chair must point out that the question deals with the delay in commencing the proposed major road improvement projects listed to commence in 1985.
There is no reason this toll bridge could not be commenced in 1985. I might ask the Minister another question: in a lot of the road building in progress around Dublin city at present it seems, to the inexpert observer, that they are being built to very palatial sorts of standards, in many cases it being difficult to visualise their being fully utilised in our lifetime. Is popular rumour true that these roads have to be built to enormously expensive standards because of EC regulations and directives?
I am glad that the Leader of the Opposition is aware of the great progress that is taking place in this city and that the work is of a very high standard. This is a requirement that is under negotiation with each local authority——
Who lays down the standards, that is the question?
——in consultation with my Department.
I do not think the Minister is aware of the exact import of my question. Is he aware that in many cases roads which are being built are four and six lane highways, that those of us who know the city fairly well cannot visualise them being fully utilised certainly this century? Are they being built to these very grandiose standards because they are EC funded and that the EC insists on these standards?
Naturally the amount of EC funds would be dependent on the quality and type of roads being built. That is one of the consideration in building roads of that nature. But I do not agree with the Deputy when he says that they are being built to an excessive standard. The road system which is being constructed is being utilised and has proved to be of a very good standard and of a very safe standard. I have not heard a complaint that we are overspending.
In all these matters——
This question is being widened beyond all reasonable bounds.
I want to ask a final, important question. This is a matter of public interest. Is the Minister aware that this is naturally a question of allocating scarce resources for the best possible results, that it seems to many people that some of these projects are being built very expensively and to standards on a scale that would not be required in the foreseeable future and that some of this money might be better spent on other roads which are in a very bad state of repair and which could do with some of the expenditure allocated to those other expensive major highways that are being built?
I cannot allow this to go on. That is appropriate to the Estimate but not now. Question No. 7.
I wish to——
They will be a credit to the capital city.
Perhaps, if we could afford it. They are beautiful engineering jobs, but can we afford them?
An Cheann Comhairle——
The question deals with the starting of roads which are listed to start in 1985.
The Lucan by-pass was proposed to start in 1985. It was to be a new dual carriageway through Palmerstown and by-passing Lucan. I am confused by the Minister's reply. The Minister referred to road works at Lucan and referred to a road from Lucan to the Navan road. That is not listed for starting in 1985. What is the position in regard to the Lucan by-pass which was to start this year?
I referred to the Lucan by-pass in the list I gave. Engineering documents are being prepared and construction is expected to commence in the autumn.
The Minister referred to a road from Lucan to the Navan road a number of times. To which road was the Minister referring?
I referred to the Lucan by-pass in that reply. A supplementary was asked about the Conor Holdings Ltd proposals which I answered.
Question No. 7.
Will the Minister provide the money immediately for phases three and four of the inner relief road in Dundalk? Unless the further development of the road takes place immediately a very serious situation will arise at the northern end of Dundalk as the bridge there was definitely not built to carry either the weight or volume of traffic that crosses it daily on its way from Larne or Belfast.
This is getting completely out of hand.
The question on the Order Paper relates to——
I want a question from the Deputy, not a speech.
——road development in 1985.
I will accept one question from the Deputy but I will not tolerate a long speech like the one he is making.
In the constituency of Louth, Dundalk lies between the two largest cities in the country——
The Deputy must obey the Chair on Standing Orders.
I am entitled to ask a question.
The Deputy is entitled to ask a question but he is making a long speech.
Will the Minister provide the money for phases three and four of the inner relief road in Dundalk to allow the development of the road to proceed, as it is urgently needed?
The question refers to proposals for major road improvements commencing in 1985. I have listed all of those that will begin this year.
Question No. 7.
Does the Minister intend to provide the finance for the roadway, even next year?
That does not arise on this question.