Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 May 1991

Vol. 408 No. 5

Written Answers. - County Kildare Bridge Works Funding.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

56 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment if the submission of final design and specification for the provision of the new relief bridge at Castletown/Celbridge and the realignment and replacement of Bond Bridge in Maynooth is a prerequisite to the award of a financial allocation for the works by his Department, or if the mere submission of preliminary design and specification is sufficient to warrant the making of such an allocation; when he expects to be in a position to make such an allocation having regard to the urgency of the works involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Flynn)

As both bridges mentioned are located on regional roads, responsibility for the proposed projects rests with the local authority, Kildare County Council. The cost of such works normally falls to be financed from local resources supplemented by the discretionary grants provided by my Department for such roads and details do not have to be submitted to the Department for approval.

The discretionary grants allocated to Kildare County Council in 1991 total £1,868,000, including a supplementary grant of £500,000 for improvement works of the special needs of the county. The determination of priorities in the expenditures of these grants is a matter for the local authority.

Special grants are occasionally made available to local authorities for projects on non-national roads. Limited funds are available for the provision of such grants and there are a number of meritorious projects awaiting this form of assistance.

The local authority's consultants have prepared a preliminary design and a cost estimate of £624,000 for a scheme involving improvements to Bond Bridge and the nearby railway bridge and the improvement of the immediate approach roads. The authority have requested a special road grant for this scheme, but I am not in a position to accede to this request in 1991.

In February 1989 proposals were received in my Department from the local authority for the construction of a relief road at Celbridge. The proposed scheme would cost an estimated £1.3 million and would include a new crossing of the River Liffey. In March 1989, my Department wrote to the local authority drawing attention to the normal method of financing such works and informing them that there were no funds available from which a special grant could be provided.