Vol. 438 No. 5
76 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to change the present system of telling county councils their roads allocation in January/ February of each year, while the estimates have to be struck in November; and when the allocations will be made for 1994.
I expect to be in a position shortly to notify local authorities of their 1994 discretionary block grant allocations for the maintenance and improvement of non-national roads, taking account of the further provision of £15 million for maintenance works announced in the budget. While I am prepared to keep current practice regarding the timing of road grant allocations under review, it is normally necessary to await the budget, and final decisions on the total provision to be made for these grants in any year, before notifications can issue to the local authorities.
In addition to the normal grant arrangements, a scheme of specific grants is being introduced this year for nonnational road improvement projects which have a significant and quantifiable impact on employment and economic activity in industry, tourism, fisheries, forestry and agriculture — rural development. Projects are expected to qualify for aid from the European Union. My Department recently invited local authorities to submit suitable proposals for consideration; I will determine specific grant allocations under this heading in the light of local authorities' submissions, the quality of individual projects and their compliance with the relevant criteria.
The notification of grants to local authorities for the maintenance and improvement of national roads is now a matter for the National Roads Authority.
