asked the Minister for Local Government if he will make a special grant available for the improvement of the Taylorstown road leading to Clonown, in view of the urgent need for ensuring that this work is carried out as quickly as possible.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Improvement of Roscommon Road.
The procedure adopted regarding the financing of county road improvement is to make a bulk allocation or allocations to each county council each year and to leave it to them to select, subject to certain principles of selection, the county roads to be improved under such allocation and out of such moneys as they provide themselves, by way of loan or otherwise.
I do not propose to depart from this procedure so as to make special grants available for particular roads. If there is a special case for improving any individual road, it is for the council to consider whether they should deal with it under their bulk allocations.
Is the Minister aware that the people in the Clonown area suffered grievous hardship last winter due to the flooding which took place? Is the Minister further aware that the normal route into Clonown is flooded in winter time and this is the only alternative route? In view of the fact that practically all Government Ministers, except the Minister for Local Government, visited that area last winter and promised that special consideration would be given and special grants made to ameliorate conditions in the locality, will the Minister now reconsider his decision with regard to Clonown, and, in view of that specific promise made by other Government Ministers, not put the responsibility on the county council to do work and pay for something that has already been promised by the Government?
I think I had that in mind when I gave Roscommon County Council £19,000 greater allocation than they received in preceding years, but I will not tell them how they are to spend that allocation. That is a matter for themselves.
Is the Minister aware that when he gave that extra allocation in recent weeks a similar extra allocation was made to every local authority? Is it fair then to suggest that Roscommon should divert from other roads, funds for the improvement of this road, when specific promises were made that special treatment would be given to the people in the Clonown area?
I think the Deputy could raise that at a meeting of a county council, of which he is a member.
I did.