asked the Minister for Local Government the reason why his Department have not met the application made by the Donegal County Council for the normal rate of payment of main and arterial road grants; if he is aware that the increased cost of material and labour has had the effect of reducing the value received for money in terms of work done; why the amount of £127,500 has been reduced to £119,900; and what effect the reduction will have on the overall programme of the council's road schemes.
Written Answers. - County Donegal Roads.
109.
I assume the question refers to upkeep grants for national primary and for other main roads. These will be payable at the normal rate, that is to say 100 per cent of approved expenditure on national primary roads and 50 per cent of approved expenditure on other main roads. The amount of the upkeep grants approved for Donegal County Council rose by more than £51,000 last year and grants of the same amount as last year have been allocated in the current year. These include the increase from 50 per cent to 100 per cent in the rate of upkeep grant for national primary roads brought into operation for the first time last year.
The county council have asked that the amount of upkeep grant for main roads, other than national primary roads, should be further increased this year, to match an extra provision from rates revenue, but it will not be possible to make any supplementary grant, as anticipated Road Fund income has already been fully committed. I do not expect that this decision will have a significant effect on the council's overall road programme, having regard to the substantial rise in the amount of the upkeep grant over the last two years.