asked the Minister for Local Government when the construction of the first motorway in Ireland will commence; when it will be completed; where it will be situated; and if he will indicate by means of a tabular statement his long term plans for motorway construction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Motorway Construction.
21.
I would refer the Deputy to my replies to his questions on this subject on 2nd May, 1974, and 6th May, 1975, in which I indicated that the construction of a motorway cannot proceed in advance of compliance with statutory procedures, including public inquiry, and that accordingly I am not in a position to furnish such information as he now requests.
Is the Minister aware that there is a feeling among many people who have examined our problems at European level that the most important thing in order to bring more employment, especially to the western seaboard, is the construction of adequate roadways to transport the goods to the nearest port and is he also aware various local authorities are announcing great plans but no work ever seems to get done? Indeed, the Stillorgan road was announced in 1947. That was a long time ago.
It was. I am not in agreement with the proposal that until there is a huge motorway from Dublin to the west of Ireland we cannot have additional industrial development there. At the moment there are huge developments in the west of Ireland and they did not need that motorway. Secondly, local authorities must advance the proposal. They must start and they have not done so.
Is the Minister saying now that a trans-county motorway must be initiated by the county councils?
They must move first. They must first think out a scheme.
That is nonsense.
It is not nonsense. There is democracy in local authorities now.
But local authorities cannot move. The Minister does not even know how the scheme operates.
Do we get someone with a crystal ball to decide which local authority requires a motorway or do Members opposite want the jackboot in the Custom House to decide?
That is what is there at the moment.
Whilst we are waiting for a motorway, would the Minister try to get repairs done to the road from here to Kilcock? At the moment it is very like "To hell or to Connacht". It takes an hour to get as far as Kilcock from Dublin. Some works were done but have now stopped. Kildare County Council is responsible and I presume they are waiting for Government grants.
This is a separate question.
As far as Kilcock is concerned, that is part of my constituency now and Connacht does not start there. If Kildare County Council want to spend on the road then proposals should be made about the road. Members opposite are being a bit childish in all this because those who are members of local authorities know quite well what the responsibilities of the local authority are. To suggest everything should be done from Dublin is the wrong approach.
Deputy Callanan and Deputy Brennan rose.
I have allowed a great deal of latitude and I will not permit any further debate on this question.
It is a very important matter.
It is a very important question.
I have allowed a great many supplementary questions.
Is the Minister seriously stating that planning of a national highway in any part of the country must be done by the councils concerned?
No. I said proposals must first come from the local authorities. The co-ordination required will be done at Local Government level but, before any co-ordination is done, local authorities must do a great deal of work. Deputy Brennan is aware of that.
I am not. If there is to be a huge infrastructure to serve the west the planning has got to start here.