Vol. 428 No. 3
64 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for the Environment if it is intended, as stated in Dáil Éireann by his predecessor, that the Sligo Relief Road, linking the new bridge across the Garavogue river in Sligo town with the planned dual carriage Ballisodare-Collooney by-pass at the Sligo Borough boundary, will be constructed at the same time as the by-pass or as a continuation of the by-pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
65 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for the Environment the precise route of the new Ballisodare-Collooney by-pass on the Sligo to Dublin N4 road; and if he will give details of the length of the by-pass route and of all the major engineering projects involved such as bridges, fly-overs and roundabouts.
66 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for the Environment if the Ballisodare/ Collooney by-pass on the N4 Sligo to Dublin Road is to receive funding from the first tranche of the cohesion funds; if so, when the money will become available; the percentage of the grant to be made available from European Funds; when work will start on the roadway; the duration of the contract; the number of persons expected to be employed at peak period by the various contractors; and the scheduled completion date.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 65 and 66 together. The details of the proposed Collooney-Sligo route, which would be about 8.6km long, are set out in the Environmental Impact Statement prepared by Sligo County Council. I am arranging for a copy of this to be placed in the Oireachtas Library. In February 1992, I certified this project as acceptable on environmental grounds and, some weeks ago, I confirmed, with modifications, the compulsory purchase order for the acquisition of the necessary land. On 15 March last, I notified a road grant allocation of £3.06 million to Sligo County Council for the project.
67 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for the Environment if the work on the new Curlew mountain route planned for the N4 Sligo/Dublin road is to be transferred from the existing operational programme on peripherality to the Cohesion Fund; and, if so, when work will commence on the project.
Subject to the outcome of the statutory procedures involved, this scheme is scheduled to commence in 1994. Decisions as to the specific schemes to be financed from the Cohesion Fund in that year have not yet been made.
