Vol. 443 No. 1
72 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the road grant payments for non-national roads made to local authorities over the last ten years, showing the amount per mile allocated in each year in each area.
The information requested is set out in the following tables.
73 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment the additional allocation for improvements to be made on regional route R373, County Mayo, that is, Moneen Road, Castlebar; the extent of improvements to be carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
74 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment the allocation to be made in respect of improvements to regional road number R311, County Mayo, that is, Newport Road, Castlebar; the extent of improvements to be carried out with this allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.
The roads concerned have received allocations under the EU co-financed scheme of grants introduced this year for improvement works on non-national roads which will have a significant economic impact, particularly as regards employment and industrial, tourism, fisheries, forestry, agricultural and rural development. Over 450 projects were submitted by local authorities for funding under the scheme in 1994. These were priorities following evaluation and assessment for compliance with criteria laid down to meet EU requirements.
The overall provision for the grants scheme this year is £33.6 million and I notified local authorities of their allocations on 12 May. Details of these allocations, the projects concerned, length of road to be improved and the sectors served can be found in the Department's booklet "1994 Grant Allocations for EU Co-Financed Specific Road Improvement Schemes" and in the press release issued on my behalf on 31 May; copies of both of these documents have been placed in the Oireachtas Library.
