asked the Minister for the Environment when the blueprint for road development will be published; and the reason for the delay in publishing it.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Road Development.
10.
Last October, the Government decided that the blueprint for road development prepared by my Department should be used as the basis for the case for EC aid for roads. The relevant EC regulations were adopted on 19 December 1988 and my Department are now preparing an operational plan for national roads, based on the blueprint, which I intend to submit to the EC before the end of March. This will tie in with the Government's national plan. As the Taoiseach indicated to the House last week, I intend to publish the blueprint by next June, taking into account the views of the EC Commission in the meantime.
Would the Minister acknowledge that the National Roads Authority were requested to make urgent submissions to him on the draft blueprint in the summer and that such submissions were made in September? Could he indicate the reason for not publishing the blueprint in October, even as a draft blueprint, so that there could be some public discussion and some debate in this House on the priorities identified in the blueprint prior to any submission being made to Brussels for Structural Funds?
The National Roads Authority certainly made their submission last year and it dealt with the question of the blueprint and all the matters related to roads in some detail. Discussions continued then with the Department and we had a satisfactory conclusion to the discussions between the National Roads Authority and the Department.
It is not right to publish the blueprint until the operational plan is in place for the possible drawing down of the intervention rates against the road plan. Once we submit that to Brussels before the end of March as part of the national plan, we will have the indication from Brussels as to the approval and the money terms involved. It will be proper then to put it into a proper plan so that it will be published as soon as that information is totally correlated.
Would the Minister not consider that it is a matter of some interest and importance that Members of this House be made aware of the content of the blueprint for road development for the next 20 years that the Government have now put together? Why should this blueprint remain a national official secret pending the plan going to Brussels and the officials in Brussels considering the validity of the plan put to them? Would the Minister now consider as a matter of urgency puplishing the blueprint that has been languishing in his Department since October 1988?
The Deputy is engaging in repetition.
Having regard to the content——
It is not languishing in the Department. The arrangements for the operational plan are to put forward the necessary projects that will be drawing down funds from the Structural Funds——
Why should the Members of this House wait?
I think the Deputy will agree that there is great urgency attached to get the national plan in and to get in the operational plan for roads this year and for the future years. Then we will publish the blueprint. I recognise that the House, industry, transport and quite a number of interests have a big involvement in this and will be pleased to see it, but we should get all these negotiations done before printing and publishing something that has not a basis in money terms.
Would the Minister not recognise that his failure to publish a draft plan is having serious implications for investment decisions around the country by various people with respect to their own plans and that, notwithstanding any decision Brussels may take in relation to the availability of Structural Funds, he has an obligation to publish what is a long-term plan which in the nature of things is going to be subject to variations? Could he not indicate to the House that he is prepared, on principle, notwithstanding what comes out of Brussels, to publish the plan to facilitate not just debate in this House but a series of related investment decisions up and down the country?
I do not accept it is in any way retarding investment.
It is.
The opposite is the case. As an indication of our earnestness in this matter, the £194 million which has been provided for roadworks this year is the highest provision ever made in a single year for road grants since the foundation of the State. The amount of money that has been increased in so far as the Government's additional funds of £44 million for roadworks which was announced in the budget is concerned, is also a clear indication that we want to build the roads. That is the concern both of the National Roads Authority——
(Interruptions.)
I want to come to finality on this question. Deputy Quinn.
The operational plan——
May I please interrupt the Minister?
It is not good to interrupt the Minister when he is giving information to the House which was solicited by the Deputy.
Let me conclude my remarks. The operational plan is vital at this time and it is vital to get it across as quickly as possible. That is the reason it is going over the end of March.
Why not publish it?
It is also important to have the blueprint which sets out the strategy for the longer period to deal with all roads, national and non-national. I am going to publish it. I have indicated in my reply that that is my intention.
What is the decision by the Government as to where the money is to be spent?
The Minister has indicated to the House that he will probably publish some time in June. May I ask him again, perhaps in a different way, if he would not recognise that people are withholding investment decisions of their own——
We cannot have repetition——
I do not think the Minister heard the question.
——at Question Time it is most unwelcome.
Would the Minister not recognise that, notwithstanding the amount of money planned for expenditure in 1989——
We cannot afford the luxury of repetition of this kind. Deputy Barry is offering. If he has a pertinent question I will call him.
(Interruptions.)
There is no basis for suggesting that investment is not and will not be available to help fund this programme or some part of it.
If after publication of the plan the Minister receives submissions, what happens to those submissions? If he is going to incorporate them in a further plan, would it not be far better and more efficient to publish the draft plan now, take those submissions and put the final plan together at that stage?
That will apply anyway as soon as the plan is published.
Why not do it now?
(Interruptions.)
Order. The Chair is on its feet. I am calling Question No. 12.
It will have to take place in subsequent years because we made——
The Minister is deliberately postponing investment.
He does not want anybody to know because he wants to decide where the money is spent. He lets nobody know where the application is from.
Well done, Deputy Farrelly.
On a point of order——
(Interruptions.)
Let us hear the point of order.
Is it in order that I have been attempting to ask a supplementary for the last seven minutes——
(Interruptions.)
That is not a point of order.
I want to put a supplementary question to the Minister. I came to the House to put that question and I have been attempting to do so for the last seven minutes.
If Deputies are dissatisfied with replies given by Ministers they have a remedy.
There is not a way that I can raise this again. This is the first time in six weeks that this matter has come before the House.
The Deputy has a remedy.
I should like to put one supplementary question to the Minister.
I have called Question No. 12 at least six times.