asked the Minister for the Environment the major improvement projects on national and major urban roads which will not now go ahead in 1987 due to the reduction of £7.5 million in the Estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Local Improvement Schemes.
32.
The combined provisions for road grants and local improvements schemes for 1987 is £169.95 million, which is the same as the combined provisions made under these headings in the January Estimates.
Following a review of those provisions in the context of the budget of 31 March, it was decided to increase the provision for local improvements schemes by £1.85 million and to reduce the provision for road grants by an equivalent amount. In addition, it was decided to increase the total grants allocated for county road strengthening from £10 million to £15 million. These revisions, together with other minor variations in the road grant allocations notified on 28 January, necessitated a reduction of £7.2 million in overall grant allocations for major improvement projects on national and major urban roads.
The reduction in allocations for major works was spread over 18 separate schemes and it will not result in the abandonment of any project. Work on the Dunleer by-pass, Mullingar by-pass and the Tallaght by-pass extension will not now start in the current year.