Vol. 421 No. 8
194 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) that the level of funding for maintenance of non-national roads has been reduced; if he will give details of the level of road allocation for (a) non-national roads, (b) County Cavan and (c) County Monaghan for 1986 and 1992; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
While I am aware of the newspaper report referred to, a copy of the study to which it relates has not yet been received by me or my Department. The report refers to a drop of 13 per cent in real terms in Government funding for non-national road maintenance between 1988 and 1992 but I am at a loss as to how this figure was arrived at. The facts are that in 1988 a total of £10.1 million was allocated in grants for the maintenance of non-national roads while the corresponding figure in 1992 is £12.3 million. This is an increase of 1.65 per cent in real terms using the inflators laid down in the Annual Construction Industry Review and Outlook Document. In addition, State grants for the improvement of non-national roads have averaged £59.752 million over the 1988-1992 period, as against an average of £26.246 million in the previous five-year period.
The position in relation to Cavan and Monaghan is set out in the following table:
Non-National Road Grants.
|
Nationally (£,000) |
Cavan (£,000) |
Monaghan (£,000) |
|
|
1986 |
40,480 |
837 |
538 |
|
1992 |
79,300 |
3,536 |
2,493 |
