asked the Minister for the Environment if by reason of the importance of the Ring of Kerry road to local and national tourism, he will make funds available to Kerry County Council to carry out the necessary road works on this road which the high level of tourist traffic demands.
Written Answers. - Ring of Kerry Road.
27.
In 1989, road grant allocations totalling £364,000 have been notified to Kerry County Council for specific improvements to the national secondary roads which form part of the Ring of Kerry. The extent to which the national secondary road maintenance grants for County Kerry, which total £1.223 million this year, are used on this road is a matter for determination by the local authority. Works on the regional road section of the route fall to be financed from local authority resources supplemented by the discretionary grants provided by my Department for non-national roads. The 1989 grants notified to the local authority under this heading total £2.423 million.
The 1989 Exchequer road grants have been fully allocated and there are no further funds available to me from which any additional allocations could be made at this time. Pending the determination of road grant allocations for 1990, I am not in a position to indicate the level of funds that will be available next year for improvement works on the Ring of Kerry.