asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state whether he will take steps to render the road from Dunboyne to Dublin less dangerous for house traffic, as at present, owing to the slippery surface, loads of hay reach market only with difficulty.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - DUNBOYNE-DUBLIN ROAD.
The road referred to has been reconstructed in bituminous macadam under the national scheme and is completed less than a year. It is now in first-class condition as far as a modern surface goes. All modern surfaces fail in affording as good a foothold for horses as did the old-fashioned plain macadam. The latter is, however, prohibitive in cost of upkeep under a volume of motor traffic such as it at present using the Navan Road.
As stated in reply to Deputy Moore's question of the 2nd November, 1927, the problem of finding a road surface at a reasonable cost, and which will afford good foothold for horses as well as a smooth passage for motors, is the subject of continued experiment in this country and elsewhere. It is hoped also that with a horse-shoe better adopted to the new surfaces and with horses getting more used to the new conditions there will be less difficulty.
In the meantime hay traffic is only a small fraction of the total usage of the road in question, and there are alternative routes along which better foothold can be found with only slight additional length of journey.
Will the Minister state whether any research work in this country is being done in connection with this and other road problems at present?
What does the Deputy call research work?
In connection with materials, both from the point of view of making the roads more suitable for horse traffic and from the point of view of getting materials that can be produced in the country. As the Minister is doubtless aware, practically all the materials are imported at present.
A number of different classes of surfaces have been laid down throughout the country, and it is only out of practical work of that particular kind at present that we can do research work that will be of any use to us. But no experience that we can get from which to profit is at present being left unobserved.
Could the help of the engineering schools and the universities not be enlisted for problems of that kind?
That is a separate question.