asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that as a result of the closing of the Great Northern Railway to Bundoran and the County Donegal Railway to Ballyshannon, no road in comparable condition of repair in County Donegal has been called upon to bear more traffic than the Belleek-Ballyshannon-Bundoran Road; and, if so, if he will make available to County Donegal a special grant for the improvement of this road, and continue to do so until such time as the roadway is brought up to the standard necessary to carry the traffic now imposed thereon.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Belleek-Ballyshannon-Bundoran Road.
17.
A special grant of £75,000 per annum has already been allocated to Donegal County Council to enable them to deal with road problems arising from recent railway closings in the area, under the scheme for the allocation of such grants over the period 1959-60—1963-64. It is for the county council to decide in the first instance the roads to which this money will be applied.
It is also open to the county council to consider the claims of the roads in question for improvement under the other road improvement grants available to them. These grants include a tourist road grant of £55,000 and a main road improvement grant which will amount to £75,600 in 1961-62, representing a substantial increase over this year's allocation.
Would the Minister agree that the total grants consequential on the closure of the lines in Donegal approximate to £375,000 for that County?
Yes, certainly, I agree.
Very good.
I would also point out to the Deputy, in case he does not know, that it was the Donegal County Council who made the case on which all other counties are now fighting.
Quite. Arising from the Minister's reply, as the Minister states that all other counties are now basing their case on what was achieved by the Donegal County Council, is he in agreement with the savage attack made by the Taoiseach on the person of the Cork County Engineer for having submitted similar proposals?
That does not arise.
I would say that the proposals on which the claims were originally based were based on sound facts.
All right. There are more sound facts coming up.