asked the Minister for the Environment if, in view of the increasing usage and widespread deterioration now evident in the roads system, he is contemplating any major roads programme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Roads Improvement.
18.
The Road Development Plan for the 1980s, which was approved by the Government last year, outlined a major programme of work for the purposes of preserving the existing road network up to a satisfactory level of service and improving the network to cater for the continuing demands of our growing economy. As statutory responsibility for the maintenance and improvement of public roads is vested in the road authorities they have been asked to prepare their own action programmes for the implementation of the plan.
How much money is being made available this year under the road development plan for the eighties? What amount would be required to implement this plan in the eighties?
A total of almost £48 million has been provided for expenditure on grant aided road schemes in 1980. The total allocation this year is £53 million, and that will enable road authorities to continue with their programme of improvement and maintenance.
The Minister did not answer my second question. It was: what amount of money was meant to be spent this year to commence the implementation of the road programme for the eighties? He did produce a long document on this.
Grants totalling £9.336 million have been allocated for the maintenance of national roads.
The Minister indicated that each local authority had been asked for a response to the road development plan for the eighties, and I should like to know when that request went to each local authority.
I do not have that information, but I will communicate with the Deputy on the matter.
I am surprised that the Minister does not have that information.
I have an idea but I do not want to give inaccurate information.
I will accept the idea.
I believe it was in the month of March.
Will the Minister reconsider the position in relation to this circulating to each member of all local authorities a copy of the plan?
In my county the county manager gave all members of the council a copy of that plan. That is a matter for county managers, and I believe they all co-operated in that manner.
Will the Minister tell the House the amount of money he was asked for the whole road programme?
I do not have that information but if the Deputy tables a question on that I will reply to it.
I am surprised the Minister does not have that.
19.
asked the Minister for the Environment if any recent analysis of the economics of road-making and roads maintenance has been undertaken.
Analysis of all aspects of road making is a continuing process in my Department. The road research work of An Foras Forbartha provides a valuable base for the formulation and implementation of policy in that regard. The road development plan for the eighties is based on the most up-to-date analysis of research undertaken by my Department, in association with An Foras Forbartha.
Is the Minister aware that his Department indicated in the past that they did not have any knowledge or statistics in relation to the number of employees directly employed by local authorities on road works? In the light of that admission by the Department will the Minister explain how he can claim that the Department are making a most up-to-date and modern analysis in economic terms of road making costs?
That is being carried out by my Department and An Foras Forbartha. It will give all the up-to-date costings.
Does the Minister consider that an up-to-date analysis can be carried out if the Department do not know how many local authorities are employing direct labour units on the road maintenance programme and the unit costs for road maintenance?
That seems to be an argument.
I have approximate information from the local authorities.
If the Department have approximate information I should like to know why that was not given to me when I tabled my question?
I am unable to answer that.
The Minister was Minister of State when I asked the question.
I do not wish to get into a dispute with the Deputy on that issue.
The record will show that there is a gap.
Does the analysis referred to by the Minister include any scrutiny if the type and weight of vehicles allowed to use our roads?
That is a separate question.
All that will be looked into in the report.
20.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he has given any consideration to the establishment of a national roads authority.
The setting up of a national road authority would entail the taking of statutory and financial responsibility for the national route network from the road authorities. When preparing the road development plan for the eighties, I decided, after considering the advantages and disadvantages of such a course of action, to preserve the statutory position and traditional autonomy of road authorities. However, the Government's roads policy calls for a continuing review of administrative procedures, and this would include the issue of a national road authority.
Will the Minister indicate the degree of financial autonomy that a local authority has in 1980 in relation to roads?
It will depend on the amount of money the local authorities allocate.
Do I take it from the Minister that since the road authorities are allocated funds from central Government their actual autonomy in real terms does not exist?
It is up to each authority to decide where they are going to spend the money. It has always been a matter for the road authorities to do that except where national primary routes are concerned.
If local authorities do not get money they cannot spend it.
Does the Minister agree that local authorities have virtually no autonomy particularly, as he admits, in relation to the national primary routes? All sanctions must be given there and all the money is made available on an annual basis. The money made available in relation to non-primary routes is generally money required for routine maintenance but not for general development. Local authorities have no control.
That has always been the case.
As long as that is acknowledged I am satisfied.
We can have a chat about that another day. We must move on to the next question.
In view of what the Minister has disclosed would he not consider that national primary routes could properly and more efficiently be handled by a national authority?
That could be looked into but I have an open mind on that matter.
21.
asked the Minister for the Environment the reason he refused to receive a deputation from Roscommon County Council to discuss their request for a further allocation of money for road works in the county and if he will reconsider his decision and receive such a deputation.
I received two requests this year from Roscommon County Council to meet a deputation concerning the provision of funds for road works in the county. The first request was received on 30 January 1980 and related to a special allocation of grants for the up-grading of roads in the Clonown area. This request was refused on the ground that I could not give any commitment at that stage to the level of road grant for 1980. The letter pointed out, however, that I am fully aware of the needs of the road network in Roscommon but have, of course, in the allocation of grants to take account of the requirements of the whole road system of the country.
The second request dated 26 February 1980 related to the operation of the council's services generally, including road. A full explanation of my position on the points raised by the council was sent to them on 7 March 1980. I told the council that while I would be glad to meet them if an opportune time became available, I consider, having regard to the detailed explanations given in the reply, that such a meeting could serve no useful purpose.
I am satisfied that there has been no change in the circumstances which would render a meeting with the council worthwhile. I might add that the total of £1,376,000 allocated to Roscommon County Council in road grants for 1980 compares with a total of £426,000 in 1976.
22.
asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the deplorable state of the roads in Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will allocate funds for their immediate repair.
I am aware of the needs of the road network in Drogheda. The road grants amounting to £443,000 which I have allocated to Drogheda Corporation this year include special grants of £50,000 for improvement work on Newfoundwell Road and £55,000 for special maintenance works on other strategic roads in Drogheda. The corporation are at present undertaking a programme of works to be financed from this latter grant in addition to their normal programme of maintenance on the national routes to be financed from the grant of £30,000 which I have allocated for the purpose.
The grants already made to road authorities absorb the total of the moneys available to me for road grants in 1980 and there are no other funds at my disposal from which additional road grants can be allocated.