I beg your pardon— 20th December. There is very little time between 15th September and that date, and I am informed by the returning officers that they have difficulty enough in compiling the voters lists without sending out cards. Remember that it is very difficult to arouse enthusiasm in voters, unless there is an election in the offing, and I am afraid that most of these cards would be committed to the wastepaper basket.
With regard to notifying voters prior to a local election of the place at which they may vote and their number, I am afraid that would require legislation, but I am endeavouring to ensure by all the means that I possibly can that there will be brought to the notice of electors the place at which they vote and their number. I have sent out circulars to all local authorities, particularly in Dublin and Cork, informing them that posters must be put up outside every public building, and, if they are pulled down, they must be replaced. I have also, through the good offices of the Press, endeavoured to bring to the notice of the public their responsibilities and their duty to vote, and I have endeavoured to inform them as to where they may seek the information they request—their numbers and, their polling stations. Further than that I cannot go without legislation.
Deputies Giles and Tully referred to the cul-de-sac roads. As I have said, I have given increased grants this year for county roads. These Deputies referred to the county roads of Meath and the position is that Meath has got £30,000 this year for county roads. Meath may take over these cul-de-sac roads and have them declared county roads, and then deal with them with their additional allocation for county roads. As a matter of fact, that is the first thing that is done—these roads are declared county roads—but I would advise them to be very slow indeed about taking over too many of them, until they get their own county roads up to a certain standard.
Deputy Giles also referred to the dangerous bridge at Enfield on the main Dublin-Galway road and spoke about the Government's failure to do anything about it. I am very glad to inform him that a grant has been allocated for this bridge and plans have been approved. I hope that work will go on very shortly. The matter rests now with the Meath County Council.
The same Deputies also referred to a number of bridges in Meath which were damaged in the recent floods. As I said, I think, in reply to a parliamentary question some time ago, I would have no objection to certain projects such as this being undertaken out of the allocation made under the Local Authorities (Works) Act, and if a proposition is put forward for a particular bridge, by all means, we will consider it and it certainly will not be ruled out without serious thought.
Deputy Sheldon referred to the different methods of doing road maintenance. It would be a very good thing if we had a standard, but nobody will appreciate better than Deputies how difficult it would be to procure a standard for all Ireland. One can readily realise that a standard which suits the bog roads of West Cork or West Donegal, or anywhere in the West of Ireland, would not be in any way suitable for the Midland Counties. It is impossible. We would like to have adjoining counties agreeing on some standard, but that is a matter for themselves. I cannot very well dictate to them nor do I wish to do so. I hope that when I have finished in the office of Minister for Local Government, we will be here merely in an advisory capacity and not as dictators to local authorities.
Deputy O'Malley suggested that all the roads of the country should be made of concrete. Expert opinion disagrees. There are certain roads in the cities where concrete might be very useful, but where you have a bog foundation, it is impossible to use concrete, except by way of a reinforced concrete raft, which is very expensive. I think the tarmacadam road is quite satisfactory. We have, had experience in a neighbouring county, County Meath, of an experiment in cement on the road between here and Slane. I think it was not a great success. We saw it torn up the other day and the road redone in tarmacadam.
I think I have dealt with the points raised by the various. Deputies, with one exception—a Deputy from my own county, Deputy Blaney. In opening my remarks, I thanked Deputy Childers, who spoke for the Opposition, and the other Deputies for the manner in which they had received the Estimate. The only attack—and I think it was a personal attack—made on me was made by Deputy Blaney. He referred to my policy of allocating more moneys for county roads than had been allocated in the past and he instanced three projects in Donegal which he said were major main road projects. He instanced three particular projects in Donegal which, he said, were major projects that should not have been carried out. He referred to them by name. One was at a place called Mullinagung. This is costing, approximately, £700. Another project was at Liscooley, on the Lifford-Ballybofey road, which is costing, approximately, £6,000, and the third was on the Milford-Letterkenny road at a cost of £4,000.
Deputy Blaney said that these jobs should not have been undertaken. May I say that one of them was actually sanctioned prior to my taking officer? The other two have been sanctioned in my time because they were based on a prior plan, and because the public transport companies refused to put on these particular routes a standard bus They have been putting on sub-standard buses. The Gardaí and the bus companies have been pressing my Department for years to straighten out this road so as to give them an opportunity of putting a standard bus on it. I make no apology to anyone for the expenditure of this money. I think it is a very good thing, and I make no apology to the people of Milford for giving them a road which will enable them to have facilities that others enjoy as regards a standard bus transport in the locality. I say the same in regard to the people of Liscooley and of Kilmacrennan. I think the people have a right to these facilities.
Deputy Blaney likes to make charges against me when I am not present. He accused me, the other day, of switching a sum of £15,000 from his constituency to my own parish. He has made that accusation from many platforms. That money was switched, but it was switched by my predecessor. Deputy Blaney, as a member of the Donegal County Council, knew all about that switch. He also had the opportunity of putting down a parliamentary question in this House, and of asking me who switched the money when it was switched. He had an opportunity of raising the matter at the Donegal County Council but he did not do so. He waited until the eve of the local elections to make the accusation outside a church in his own constituency. If Deputy Blaney was fair to his own people he would have objected to that switch being made and would have raised the matter in the council chamber or in this House. Why did he let the money go without making some protest? That is something that I would like to know.
However, I only want to put the facts before the people. I do not want to gain any political kudos from this, but I think that, in fairness to my predecessor, I should say that the reasons why he made the switch were very good reasons. I say that in fairness to him. I am not saying that I would have made it, but I do want to say that the reasons which compelled him to make the switch were, in my opinion, very strong reasons. I certainly am not going to take the credit or discredit for what was done. I, naturally, am always glad to see grants. coming into my own constituency, but I had nothing whatever to do with this, and I am sure the people of East Donegal will appreciate that.
I do not think I have anything further to say, except to thank the House and particularly Deputy Childers, as the spokesman of the Party opposite, for the manner in which the Estimate was received. I appreciate very much the many constructive suggestions which were made, all of which I may say will be very carefully examined.