Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jun 1998

Vol. 493 No. 3

Written Answers. - Roads Maintenance.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

324 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the representations, if any, he has received from a person (details supplied) in Carlow regarding the very difficult and dangerous conditions of the local roads in the area of Ballyhide, Crossneen and Clogrennane, County Laois, on one location of which a recent fatal accident occurred (details supplied); the discussions, if any, he has had with the county manager and the county engineer for Laois; if he will ensure that the allocation to Laois County Council is sufficient to enable them to address the serious deficiency of their local roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15977/98]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

Representations do not appear to have been made to me or to my Department by the person concerned.

The maintenance or improvement of non-national roads in its area is a matter for Laois County Council, to be funded from their own resources, supplemented by State grants. Laois County Council has been allocated a total of £3,991,000 in non-national road grants in 1998. The initial selection and prioritisation of works-projects in County Laois to which the various categories of non-national road grants may be applied is a matter for Laois County Council and I have no direct role in this matter.