asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the need for the provision of a relief road, to alleviate the serious traffic congestion at Celbridge, County Kildare; if he will ensure that sufficient funds are available to Kildare County Council to enable that body to carry out this work in the near future; his views on whether such work along with road and bridge realignments at the Liffey Bridge, Celbridge are necessary; if the Department has received proposals for such works from Kildare County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Celbridge (County Kildare) Traffic Congestion.
75.
Primary responsibility for the development of any proposals for the provision of a relief road at Celbridge rests with the local authority. No such proposals have been received in the Department.
The Liffey Bridge, Celbridge, is located on a regional road. Primary responsibility for improvement works on such roads rests with the local authority and the funding is normally provided from local resources supplemented by the block grant for roads.
In 1986 the local authority applied for special grant assistance towards the costs of designing schemes for the improvement of a number of bridges on regional roads, including the Liffey Bridge, Celbridge. To date it has not been possible, within the overall level of funds available, to provide a special grant for the Liffey Bridge scheme. The question of a grant to meet an appropriate share of any costs arising on the scheme next year is being considered in the context of the availability of funds for 1989. I expect to be in a position to determine the 1989 road grant allocations within the next few weeks.