Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Nov 2000

Vol. 526 No. 3

Written Answers. - Roads Funding.

David Stanton

Question:

296 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 309 of 14 November 2000, he will state the person or body that established the criterion for assistance under the Cobh, County Cork landslide programme; if he will consider changing the criterion to enable the reinstatement of a private vehicular access to Fort Villas, Cobh, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26546/00]

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

Under the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1964, sanitary authorities are empowered to carry out works to dangerous places, and this is the context in which expenditure has been incurred by Cobh UDC, with assistance from my Department, under the landslide programme. I understand that restoration of the private vehicular access would not, in the case referred to by the Deputy, constitute the carrying out of works to a dangerous place as defined in the above Act.

Section 1 of the Act specifies, inter alia, that “dangerous place” means an excavation, quarry, pit, well, reservoir, pond, stream, dam, bank, dump, shaft or land that, in the opinion of the sanitary authority in whose sanitary district it is situated, is or is likely to be dangerous to any person.