Vol. 497 No. 1
98 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will award sufficient funds to the local authorities for the purposes of improving public lighting; if his attention has been drawn to the need for these measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24293/98]
The issue of public lighting on national roads is a matter for the National Roads Authority.
The cost of refurbishment programmes or extensions to public lighting schemes on non-national roads is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by my Department's discretionary improvement grants to county councils and discretionary block grants to urban authorities. A total of £10.125 million was allocated to county councils in discretionary improvement grants in 1998 and the block grant allocation to urban authorities was £9.802 million.
