Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 May 1991

Vol. 407 No. 9

Written Answers. - EC Roads Funding.

John Connor

Question:

52 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the amount of EC Structural Funding to be spent on national primary and national secondary roads throughout the country for the remaining years of this Structural Fund regime; and if he will outline, by a quantifiable measure, the level of improvement these national routes will show by the end of 1993.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Flynn)

The operational programme on peripherality 1989 to 1993 provides the framework for EC assistance from the enlarged Structural Funds in respect of investment in roads and other transport infrastructure in the period to 1993. This Structural Fund assistance is being provided in the form of grants from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The projected ERDF commitments for national primary road improvements in the period 1991 to 1993, as set out in the operational programme, are as follows:

£m (1990 prices)

1991	82.3
1992	98.6
1993	115.0

ERDF aid is also being provided under the programme, for the improvement of other public roads, including national secondary, regional and county roads of major importance to the development of industry and tourism at sub-regional and local levels. The projected ERDF commitments for "other roads" under the programme for the period 1991 to 1993 amount to £40.1 million at 1990 prices. A breakdown of this ERDF aid by road classification is not available.

In relation to the second part of the question, I refer to chapter 3 of the operational programme, especially paragraphs 3.8 to 3.14 on the strategy for the development of the network of national primary roads, and to chapter 5, especially paragraphs 5.6 and 5.7 on the strategy for the development of other roads.