asked the Minister for Local Government whether an application for a grant has been made by the Offaly County Council to complete work on the Blueball-Booro-Cloghan road; and, if so, if he will sanction the grant as soon as possible.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Offaly Road.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state why the Offaly County Council has not commenced work on the Cush Road, Cloghan, Offaly, and whether funds have been provided for this work, also if he will state the reason for the delay in the commencement of the work and how much is to be expended on it.
With your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 77 and 78 together, as both questions appear to refer to the same road. A sum of £7,800 has been spent this year from the main road improvement grant on a section of this road. A scheme of improvement works, estimated to cost £7,000, has been proposed on another section for execution under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, 1949, but it appears that the condition of the road is not due to occurrences of the nature which the provisions of that Act are intended to remedy. The work is, accordingly, not admissible for execution with the aid of the grants allocated for schemes under the Act.
Is it not a fact that the Offaly County Council have asked the Minister's Department to sanction funds for the carrying out of this work? I understand from the county manager that the matter is held up in the Minister's Department. As a matter of fact, I have that in writing.
It is not held up. I have indicated in my reply that the work is not one that comes within the terms of the Local Authorities (Works) Act.
And there is nothing further you can do about it?
There is nothing further we can do about it.