Vol. 316 No. 14
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the expenditure on road works, sanitary services, and other works, indicating (i) local expenditure, (ii) State funds, (iii) EEC supplements, in respect of works carried out in 1979 and proposed expenditure in 1980, in County Donegal in relation to projects listed in the "Study on Cross-Border Communications in the Derry-Donegal area."
346.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to the study in Cross-Border Communications in the Donegal-Derry area, the works recommended in the study in respect of County Donegal, the works carried out to date, the works proposed to be carried out next year, other local works in the general area of the study which have been executed, and the general position, policy and time scale regarding the improvement of communications.
347.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated total expenditure to date on projects to improve communications in the Donegal-Derry area and the actual and estimated EEC fund allocated to these projects to date.
348.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated expenditure to date on projects to improve the telephone system in the Donegal-Derry area and the estimated EEC funds allocated to those projects listed in the study on cross-Border communications.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 345 to 348, inclusive, together.
The Deputy will be aware that I gave a comprehensive progress report on the implementation of the Cross-Border Communications Study for the Derry and Donegal area in the Dáil on 10 May 1979. This progress report gave the background to the study, the terms of reference, the areas covered and the follow-up to the various recommendations made by the consultants in the report. It also restated the Government's commitment to cross-Border economic co-operation and emphasised that the Government have embarked upon speedy implementation of the recommendations contained in the study. Consistent with the Government's commitment we have been continuing to monitor in detail the implementation of the various measures agreed on. The detailed recommendations made by the consultants are readily available in the Summary Volume (Volume 1) of the study, a copy of which can be obtained from the Dáil Library. The following is however the present position in regard to the principal measures envisaged by the consultants for implementation in Donegal with particular emphasis on the area of roads and telecommunications to which the Deputy specifically refers.
1. Roads
The programme of implementation approved by the Government in June 1978 provided for the full implementation of the first stage of the road programme for North Donegal recommended by the consultants. In line with this commitment work is already proceeding on a number of roads in Donegal singled out by the consultants for priority action in their road programme for North Donegal up to 1985. Early implementation of many of the other recommended road improvement schemes for which planning is at an advanced stage can be expected.
Road grants allocated for work in the Donegal section of the study area in 1979 amount to £433,900 comprising grants of £265,000 in respect of the Letterkenny/Bridgend Road (N13), £118,900 in respect of the Stranorlar/Letterkenny road (N56) (including Letterkenny bypass and Kilmacrennan Bridge section) and £50,000 for the Lifford bypass. State expenditure to date in 1979, up to 31/10/1979, amounts to £253,000.
In addition to the grants detailed above a general block grant of £781,000 has been allocated to Donegal County Council for 1978 for work on roads other than national roads at the discretion of the council. No information is available on expenditure on specific roads by Donegal County Council out of its own resources supplemented by the block grant for works on roads other than national roads.
In relation to EEC funds I can only give information on the road schemes accepted in 1978 for assistance under ERDF. These amounted to £423,000 of which we will be in receipt of approximately £127,000. The routes involved include Bridgend-Pluck Cross (N13) Letterkenny-Kilmacrennan (N56), Strabane-Lifford (N14) and the Letterkenny Through Route. As I stated on 10 May 1979, there is every reason to believe that future applications in respect of road works in the area will also be favourably considered within the resources of the fund and that the area as a whole will continue to benefit from EEC assistance.
The following, for convenience, is the detailed position in relation to progress on the roads programme which was given in the reply of 10 May 1979.
County Donegal: Inter-Urban Roads
Letterkenny-Pluck Cross, N. 13,
National Primary
Outline design has been completed, and a detailed ground survey has been carried out to enable the detailed road design to proceed. At the present rate of progress it is expected that it will be possible for work to begin on the scheme towards the end of 1980. The design involved a detour from the existing route at Pluck Cross, connecting back at Manorcunningham on the Derry side.
Bridgend-Pluck Cross, N. 13,
National Primary
Two remaining sections of this route are included in current improvement programmes:
(i) Two miles at Manorcunningham adjoining the Letterkenny-Pluck Cross route;
(ii) Newtowncunningham By-Pass.
Scheme (I)
Construction on the scheme has commenced; prospects are that it will take a further two years to complete.
Scheme (II)
Outline design stage for this scheme has been completed.
Letterkenny-Kilmacrennan, N. 56,
National Secondary
Detailed design for a one-and-a-half mile section of this route adjoining Letterkenny has been completed. A scheme of improvement works on the route, south of Kilmacrennan, is in progress, and is nearly completed.
Strabane-Lifford, N. 14,
National Primary
The proposed through-pass at Lifford has two elements:
(i) Strabane-Letterkenny link;
(ii) Strabane-Ballybofey link.
Scheme (I) is at an advanced stage and is well on the way to completion.
Scheme (II) was not included in the programme drawn up by the consultants but is scheduled in the county programme for the second half of the 1980s. Detailed design has been completed and land acquisition by CPO confirmed.
Urban Through Routes: Letterkenny
A scheme linking the Letterkenny-Pluck Cross and Letterkenny-Kilmacrennan Roads has been in progress since 1977 and it is expected that part of the overall scheme will be opened to traffic during 1979.
The table attached gives the work position on the road projects recommended in the study. Pending determination of Exchequer provision for road works in 1980 it is not possible to indicate the extent of activity and expenditure in 1980.
The Road Development Plan for the 1980s which represents a forward commitment by the Government to an action programme will provide the basis for the road improvement and maintenance programmes of the road authorities in the next decade. Due account has been taken in the plan of the study recommendations.
The study recommendations do not cover the question of sanitary services.
|
Road Projects recommended in Study |
Work Position |
|
|
1979 |
1980 |
|
|
Main Inter-Urban Roads: to 1985 |
||
|
Letterkenny--Pluck Cross |
In progress |
Continuing |
|
Bridgend--Buncrana |
Not commenced |
Commencement proposed |
|
Bridgend--Pluck Cross |
In progress |
Continuing |
|
Letterkenny--Kilmacrennan |
Bridge Construction in progress |
To be completed |
|
Lifford By-Pass Part I |
In progress |
For completion |
|
Main Inter-Urban Roads: beyond 1985 |
||
|
Lifford--Pluck Cross |
Not commenced |
Not for commencement |
|
Stranorlar--Barnesmore |
Not commenced |
Not for commencement |
|
Lifford--Stranorlar |
Not commenced |
Not for commencement |
|
Kilmacrennan--Dunfanaghy |
Not commenced |
Not for commencement |
|
Letterkenny--Stranorlar |
Commenced |
Continuing |
|
Lifford By-Pass Part II |
Not commenced |
Not commenced |
|
Urban Through Roads: |
||
|
Letterkenny |
For completion |
-- |
|
Stranorlar--Ballybofey |
Not commenced |
Not for commencement |
2. Telecommunications and Postal Service
(i) Telecommunications
As indicated previously, the conversion to automatic working of the telephone exchanges in North Donegal is going ahead as part of a £6.5 million development programme for the improvement of telecommunications in the area. Expenditure to date on projects to improve the telephone service in the area is estimated at £4.6 million of which a total of £1.6 million has been allocated by the European Regional Development Fund.
The Communications Study advocated telecommunications improvements on two fronts:
(a) Conversion of telephone exchanges in North Donegal to automatic working;
(b) improvement in cross-Border telephone service and the provision of a cross-Border cable link.
In regard to (a) the Deputy will be aware that the Letterkenny exchange was converted to automatic working on 24 October 1979. The equipment provided includes a switching and operator centre to serve the greater part of County Donegal which at present includes 57 manual exchanges.
Work is also proceeding for the conversion of other exchanges and in the coming year the intention is to convert the exchanges at Bridgend, Raphoe, Newtowncunningham, Convoy, Castlefin and Carrigart to automatic working. A further 38 manual exchanges have been contracted for or are included in the current auto conversion programme. Most, if not all of these should be converted by the end of 1981. The remaining 12 exchanges will be added to the auto conversion programme as soon as sites for the new exchanges have been acquired.
Apart from the local cabling schemes the area is served by co-axial link to Sligo. This route is being augmented by a new 1800 circuit microwave link to Sligo. It is hoped that this will be in service next year.
In regard to (b), the reply that I gave to the Dáil on 10 May indicated that work has commenced on installation of an underground cable between Derry and Bridgend. This has now been completed and provides Letterkenny subscribers with subscriber trunk dialling to all other exchanges in the country as well as dialling to Belfast, Derry and their immediate surrounding areas.
(ii) Postal Services
In relation to the postal services it was indicated in the reply of 10 May 1979 that discussions between the respective postal authorities were continuing on the question of the transportation of mail for the North West through Northern Ireland. I can now say that agreement has been reached with the Northern Ireland postal authorities to restore the previous routing arrangements which ceased in 1971. The aim is to restore the service through Northern Ireland early in 1980.
3. Other areas:
(a) Public Passenger Transport:
The consultants recommended in the study that financial assistance should be provided to the Lough Swilly Bus Company for the purchase of new vehicles to replace its existing fleet of buses. The two administrations have been jointly considering the problems regarding the operation of road passenger services in the area served by the Lough Swilly Company. As indicated in the reply of 10 May 1979, they commissioned a report by industrial consultants costing all aspects of the company's operations which has since come to hand. A final decision has not yet been taken regarding the recommendation in the cross-Border study but interim measures have been made to ensure the continuity of road passenger services in the area pending a decision on the long-term arrangements for the maintenance of such services. Consideration of the question of more long-term arrangements is being pursued as quickly as possible.
(b) Air Transport:
The consultants recommended in their report joint action with the Northern Ireland authorities to establish a scheduled Dublin/Derry air service for a trial period of three years. A joint study of the aviation and other technical and operational aspects of the proposed air link has been carried out by the Department of Tourism and Transport and the British Civil Aviation Authority. The study indicated that a substantial subsidy would be necessary to underwrite the operating cost of the services envisaged by the consultants, at least in the initial period. No decisions have yet been taken.
(c) Tourism
The consultants recommended in their report the establishment of a tourism association for the Derry/Donegal area, publication of joint promotional literature and other appropriate measures of joint development of tourism as a whole. In implementation of the recommendation of the consultants a body called the North West Tourism Co-operation Group was set up in August 1979. The group consists of representatives of Bord Fáilte and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. A number of special projects directly helpful to the development of tourist traffic in the area have been identified for consideration and preparation of a cross-Border tourist brochure is in progress.
(d) Freight Transport
As indicated in the reply on 10 May 1979, the passing by the Oireachtas of the Road Transport Act, 1978, has considerably amended the legislation governing the operation of freight and transport services and has had the effect of generally liberalising it in the direction recommended by the consultants.
(e) Ports
The consultants in their report noted that the new facilities which are planned for Greencastle Harbour could make a significant contribution to the expansion of employment in the fish processing sector. Work on the improvements, estimated to cost £1.12 million, is expected to begin in 1980 and will take about four years to complete.
