Written Answers. - Block Grants.
Brendan Smith
Question:
19
Mr. B. Smith
asked the
Minister for the Environment
when he will provide additional funding to Cavan County Council in respect of regional and county roads in view of the unacceptable reduction in the 1995 allocation in the level of funding provided in 1994 and also in view of the continuing deterioration in the road network; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[7643/95]
Bertie Ahern
Question:
45
Mr. B. Ahern
asked the
Minister for the Environment
the manner in which it is proposed to improve the state of county roads in the west of Ireland on the basis of reduced funding.
[2629/95]
Liam Hyland
Question:
75
Mr. Hyland
asked the
Minister for the Environment
if his attention has been drawn to the serious deterioration of county roads and the inability of local authorities to raise sufficient funds for their maintenance; and the action, if any, he proposes taking in the context of the 1995 Estimates to deal with the matter.
[2766/95]
Brendan Smith
Question:
76
Mr. B. Smith
asked the
Minister for the Environment
the total funding provided for national primary roads, national secondary roads and regional county roads in the 1995 Estimates for Public Services.
[2618/95]
Colm M. Hilliard
Question:
80
Mr. Hilliard
asked the
Minister for the Environment
if the Government is giving £100 million to local authorities in 1995 to be spent on county roads as indicated in the 1995 Budget Statement.
[3557/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 45, 75, 76 and 80 together.
The Abridged Estimates for 1995 included a total provision of £94.898 million for the maintenance and improvement of non-national roads. An additional £8 million was provided in the budget in recognition of the poor condition of these roads in many areas and the damage sustained because of bad weather. The increased total allocation of almost £103 million is indicative of the Government's commitment to non-national roads.
The funds provided in 1994 were significantly boosted by a once-off allocation from tax amnesty receipts. Leaving aside this exceptional allocation, the 1995 grants are up on the underlying 1994 provision and on the allocation for any previous year.
State grants for non-national roads are intended to supplement expenditure from local authorities' own resources on maintenance and improvement works for which they are statutorily responsible. Based on their adopted estimates, the local authorities are to provide almost £59 million from their own resources in 1995. The combined provision is, accordingly, almost £162 million, sufficient to finance a very substantial programme of works this year.
As part of a longer term strategy, the Government has decided that a report should be prepared as a matter of urgency on the overall state of the county roads system, including an overview of maintainance needs, changed traffic patterns, methods used for repair, and future planning of remedial works. This report will enable the Government to develop a coherent and integrated plan to bring the network up to an acceptable standard over the next ten years.
The 1995 provision for the improvement and maintenance of national roads is £211.065 million, an increase of just over 8 per cent on the 1994 provision. The National Roads Authority has informed individual authorities of their national road grant allocations for 1995.
