Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 22 Jan 1997

Vol. 473 No. 4

Written Answers. - Roads Funding.

Noel Treacy

Question:

49 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a supplementary allocation to Galway County Council in view of the recent harsh weather conditions and the serious damage that has been done to roads by both frost and snow in order to deal with the serious road conditions in many parts of the county; if so, the date on which this will be done; the amount of supplementary money to be allocated in this regard; the official amount of money being allocated for roadworks in County Galway in 1997; if his attention has been drawn to the gravity of the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1538/97]

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Howlin)

The 1997 non-national road grants allocation to Galway County Council is £9.892 million, an increase of £1.329 million or 16 per cent on the 1996 figure. Total non-national road grant allocations in 1997 are at an all-time high of nearly £173 million — up by nearly £26 million on the 1996 figure. I know from my visit to Galway yesterday that these historically high allocations have been widely welcomed by local authorities.