Vol. 437 No. 6
327 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Environment if he will increase the discretionary grant to Kerry Council in 1994 by at least 100 per cent over the 1993 level so that the condition of the county and main roads can be addressed and brought up to a reasonable standard.
339 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment whether his attention has been drawn to the total amount of funding required by Kildare County Council in 1994 for the improvement of main and county roads; if his attention has been further drawn to the special allocation made by him in 1993 for such works which represented approximately 10 per cent of the total required to put the roads in question in a proper state of repair; if, in view of the fact that many such roads in County Kildare are now impassable, have contributed to countless accidents, have resulted in a multiplicity of insurance claims against the local authority, and lack of adequate funding for such roads has resulted in an inability on the part of the local authority to carry out adequate road maintenance, roadside drainage and hedge trimming, he will, as a matter of urgency, examine the possibility of making an allocation to the local authority to at least sufficiently carry out the most urgent of the works required; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 327 and 339 together.
Responsibility for the improvement and maintenance of non-national roads rests with the local authority concerned. The cost of such works falls to be financed by the local authority from its own resources, supplemented by the discretionary grant provided by my Department. The level of these grants for 1994 and the allocations to individual local authorities will be announced as soon as possible.
As regards improvement works, it will be open to local authorities to seek specific grants under arrangements I will be introducing for the allocation of the funds for the construction/improvement of non-national roads which are provided for in the National Development Plan and which are expected to qualify for partial recoupment from the EU. I envisage that local authorities will be invited to submit applications for such grants in respect of genuine and substantial improvement works which are important to the generation of economic activity and employment in industry, tourism, fisheries and forestry, or which promote rural development, including agriculture.
