asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the widespread use made by turfcutters and others of the bog road leading from the county road 700 yards north of Mr. John Connor's house to Mr. Martin Bracken's turf bank and of the branch road leading through the cutaway from the loading bank on the main bog road west towards Mr. Thomas Birmingham's turf bank at Derries, Kilclonfert, Daingean, County Offaly; if he will state the date on which the last application for a grant was received in his Department, the total amount of the grant, the amount spent on (i) wages and (ii) materials, and the date on which an inspection was made by officers of his Department; and if a further inspection will now be carried out so that money will be made available for further patch repair work on the worst sections of this road.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Laois and Offaly Road Repairs.
It was because I was aware of the user of the road that a grant of £100 was given for it last winter without any formal application being made. The amount spent on (i) wages was £34 and on (ii) materials was £61. The last inspection by an officer from Head Office was made on 25th May, 1959. As I informed Deputy Nicholas Egan in reply to Question No. 117 on 13th June, 1962, if any further work is required on the road it will be considered when next winter's programme of bog road works is being prepared.
11.
asked the Minister for Finance the date on which an application for a grant was last received in his Department for the repair of the worst sections of the bog road from the Bay Bridge, Mountmellick, County Laois, north to Broomfield bog at William Meredith's turf bank, the date of inspection, and the date on which the grant was notified to the County Engineer; and if he is satisfied that this road is in good repair.
The road was last re-inspected on 22nd August, 1961, without a formal application being received. The grant was notified to the County Engineer on 11th November, 1961. As I informed Deputy Lalor in reply to Question No. 137 on 13th June, 1962, the work was satisfactorily completed and if any further work was required on the road it would be considered when next winter's programme of bog roads was being prepared.
12.
asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied with the present state of repair of the bog road from the county road 250 yards north of Mr. Thomas Dowling's house at Clonmore, Errill, County Laois, west and north to the boundary of Garranmaconly; if he will state the date of the last inspection by officers of his Department, and the date on which the application for a grant was made to his Department; and if he will have it again inspected so that he may have an up-to-date report which may warrant the provision of a further grant in respect of repairs.
The county engineer certified on 26th January, 1962, that work on this road had been satisfactorily completed and I accept that certificate. The date of the last inspection was on 3rd October, 1961. No formal application for the repair of this road was made since November, 1954. As stated in my reply to Question No. 142 by Deputy Lalor on 13th June, 1962, if any further work is required on the road it will be considered when next winter's programme of bog road works is being prepared.
13.
asked the Minister for Finance the date on which he received an application for the last grant for the repair of the worst sections of the accommodation and bog road from the county road at Mr. Rutledge's gate, west and south to the railway crossing at Ballyegan, Kilcolman, Birr, County Offaly; if he will state the date of inspection, the date on which the grant was notified to the County Engineer, and the amount spent on this road since 1960 in respect of (i) wages and (ii) materials; and if having regard to the manner in which this road is widely used by local residents and turfcutters he will have a further inspection carried out so that further money will be made available without delay for this urgent and important work.
No formal application has been received for the repair of this road for a number of years. Important bog roads are re-inspected as occasion requires. This road was inspected on 11th August, 1961. The last grant was notified to the county engineer on 11th November, 1961. The amount spent on this road since 1960 on (i) wages was £219 and on (ii) materials was £80. As I informed Deputy Kieran P. Egan in reply to Question No. 125 on 13th June, 1962, if further repairs are required on this road it will be considered when next winter's programme of bog road works is being prepared.
14.
asked the Minister for Finance the date on which he received the application for the last grant for the repair of the worst sections of the accommodation and bog road from the county road at Mr. James Fingleton's house, south to Patrick Drennan's turf bank with branch east to Mr. Murtagh Coss's bank and west to Mr. William Deevery's turf bank; if he will state the date of inspection by officers of his Department, and the date on which the County Engineer was notified of approval of the grant; and if he will give details of the amount spent on this proposal in respect of labour in last year's programme, and the date on which it was certified as completed in a satisfactory manner, as the many users of this road at Ross, Portlaoise and in the district of Clondarrig are anxious to have it put in a proper state of repair.
Applications were received on 3rd March and 24th May, 1961. The work was inspected on 29th August, 1961. The county engineer was notified of the last grant on 11th November, 1961. The amount spent on labour in last year's programme was £88. It was certified on 26th January, 1962, as being completed in a satisfactory manner, and should still be in a reasonable state of repair. However, as I informed Deputy Lalor on 13th June, 1962, in reply to Question No. 136, if further work is required on this road it will be considered when next winter's programme of bog road works is being prepared.
15.
asked the Minister for Finance the amount of money spent in respect of (i) wages and (ii) materials since 1960 on the repair of the bog road from the end of the county road east to a point 70 yards east of the Tinker's bridge and continuing north towards Buckley's bog to the end of the existing road at Kilcolganbeg, Ferbane, County Offaly; if he will have a further inspection carried out so that a further grant may be made available for this important road having regard to the extent of its use by the many local residents; and if he will state the date on which he last received an application for a grant in this district, the date of inspection by officers of his Department, and the date on which the County Engineer was informed of approval for the grant.
The amount spent since 1960 on (i) wages was £91 and on (ii) materials was £27. As I stated in my reply to Question No. 124 by Deputy Kieran Egan——
Do not mix them up.
——on 13th June, 1962, if any further work is required on the road it will be considered when next winter's programme of bog road works is being prepared. No formal application for the repair of this road was received in recent years. The last inspection was on 30th June, 1961. The grant was notified to the county engineer on 11th November, 1961.
16.
asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the large number of users of the existing bog road at the gravel hill west to Mr. John Horan's turf bank at Lower Forest, Mountmellick, County Laois; if he will state the date on which an application for a grant for the repair of this road was received in his Department, the date of inspection, and the date of issue of the notification to the County Engineer of the grant; what money has been spent on (i) wages and (ii) materials; and if a further inspection will be carried out on this work without delay.
17.
asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the great number of people who use the accommodation and bog road from the county road near Mr. Patrick Shortall's house north towards Mr. James McEvoy's turf bank to loading bank at the end of the road, the branch roads leading west of this road and the existing branch road north-east towards Mr. William Wardrop's bog at Kilmalogue and Cloneyquin, Portarlington, County Offaly; if he will state the date on which an application for a grant for the repair of these roads was made, the amount spent on them since 1960 in respect of (i) wages and (ii) materials, and the date on which this work was last inspected by his Department; and if he will now have a further inspection carried out with a view to providing a generous grant to put the work in good repair.
18.
asked the Minister for Finance the amount already spent in respect of (i) wages and (ii) materials on the repair of the accommodation and bog road from the county road near Mr. Fintan Hinche's cottage south to the wood gate, on the construction of culverts and on the provision of adequate road drainage at Pigeon House, Ballinvally, Killeigh, County Offaly; if he will state the date on which application for a grant was received in his Department; and the date of the last inspection by officers of his Department; if he is satisfied that this road is now not subject to flooding; and if a further inspection will be carried out so that turfcutters and general users of this road may have it in good repair.
19.
asked the Minister for Finance the date on which an application for a grant was received for the repair of the worst sections of the existing bog road from the county road at Mr. George Wheeler's house at Ringstown, Mountrath, County Laois, east to the loading bank at the end of the existing road; if he will state the date on which he received a certificate of completion for the work, and the date on which the work was last inspected by his Office, and the amount of money spent in respect of (i) wages and (ii) materials; if he has heard recently from the County Engineer on the matter; and if he will have an inspection carried out so as to put this road in good repair for the many local users.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 16 to 19 together.
I cannot do better than read the letter addressed to the Deputy on 22nd June.
"Dear Deputy,
With reference to your Parliamentary Questions Numbers 11 to 14 for answer on the 19th instant, I set out below for your information, as promised, the various details in respect of the queries raised by you:—
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The dates on which applications for grants for the repair of the roads were made: |
Unlike the Rural Improvements Scheme, in which a formal application form, including the appointment of a representative by the beneficiaries, is an essential preliminary, applications for the repair of bog roads are not necessarily repeated. No recent formal application for the repair of the roads was received in the case of Questions Numbers 11 and 14. The dates of the most recent applications in the cases of Questions Numbers 12 and 13 were the 29th November, 1960 and 23rd June, 1960, respectively. |
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The dates on which work was last inspected: |
22/8/61, 13/9/61, 11/7/60 and 6/9/61, respectively. |
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The date of issue of notification to the County Engineer of the grants: |
11th November, 1961, in each case. |
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What money was spent on wages and materials? |
The under-mentioned details relate only to the 1961-62 grants, unless otherwise stated:— |
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Number 11—£43 and £7, respectively. |
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Number 12—£121 and £162, since 1960. |
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Number 13—£76 and £89. |
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Number 14—£30 and £65. |
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If a further inspection will be carried out? |
The proposals will be re-inspected before the winter programme is prepared. |
I desire to add that it is anticipated that the work undertaken on the road which is the subject of Question Number 13 will obviate flooding in future. The certificate of completion in the case of Question Number 14 was received on the 27th February, 1962."
I signed the letter: "Yours sincerely, Donogh O'Malley."
Will the Parliamentary Secretary agree that on receipt of that letter he received from me a letter expressing my thanks and appreciation?
I will.
There is no reason why we should not exchange compliments.