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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 May 1989

Vol. 389 No. 7

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Louth Roads.

25.

asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the severe cutbacks in the finance for roads allocation to Louth County Council and the consequent potholes in the road which are reported to have been linked with the death of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; if he will sanction a major financial allocation to Louth County Council to avoid further serious injury and death on County Louth roads; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that in County Louth the cover for public liability is £750,000 to insurance companies; that 50 outdoor staff have lost their jobs; that county council workers were on a three-day week; and that they can only fill potholes with clay; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The road grants provided by my Department to Louth County Council have increased substantially in recent years. The total of the grant allocations notified for 1989 represents increases of 52 per cent and 38 per cent compared with the grant payments made in 1986 and 1988, respectively.

I assume the Deputy is mainly concerned with regional and county roads. Primary responsibility for these roads rests with the local authority. However, because of my concern about the condition of these roads, I have made substantial increases in the levels of road grant funding for them since 1987. The 1989 discretionary road grants allocations notified for regional and county roads to county councils amount to £47.4 million, compared with £33.4 million in 1988 and £23.0 million in 1986. The £47.4 million is the first instalment of the three year programme of works on regional and county roads which I announced earlier this year. The programme covers the period 1989 to 1991 and will cost £150 million in discretionary State road grants.

The 1989 discretionary road grant allocations notified to Louth County Council for regional and county roads amount to £548,000 which represents an increase of £166,000 or 43 per cent on the grant payments under equivalent headings in 1988. In 1989, I have also notified the local authority of special road grants amounting to £315,000 for improvements to non-national roads at specific locations.

I understand from Louth County Council that the cost of the county council's public liability insurance is £80,000; that 43 outdoor employees, including 29 road workers, have availed of the voluntary redundancy-early retirement package; that the last period of short time working ended in May, 1988; and that it is the practice of the local authority to use crushed gravel and tarmacadam to fill potholes.

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