Vol. 405 No. 6
154 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for the Environment if he has studied the report of the Arigna Task Force; and if he will outline his views on the recommendations in the report that seek the involvement of his Department in the economic rehabilitation of this area.
The Arigna Task Force report has been considered in my Department and the position on the recommendations pertaining to my area of responsibility is as follows:
The priorities for a works programme on regional and county roads in the Arigna area have been agreed in discussions at engineering level between my Department and the county councils concerned. The cost of such works, estimated at £800,000, normally falls to be financed from local resources, supplemented by the discretionary grants provided by my Department. However, I have taken account of the needs of the Arigna area in determining the 1991 road grant allocations which will be notified to local authorities this week. In a broader context, the national primary road improvements throughout the country outlined in the operational programme on peripherality will improve access to the Arigna area.
Proposals are being prepared by Roscommon County Council in relation to the Arigna water supply scheme. This scheme will replace the existing inadequate schemes serving the Arigna, Ballyfarnan, Keadew and Rover areas and thus provide a guaranteed supply of water to meet the existing and future development needs of this area.
