asked the Minister for Industry and Energy if his Department have any proposals for moneys to be made available to either county councils or the Land Commission for the carrying out of both road repair and drainage works in order to facilitate turf development.
Written Answers. - Road Repair and Drainage Works
921.
Under a private bog development scheme, which was introduced last June, grants are available towards the costs of providing access roads to bogs and drainage of bogs as well as the purchase, lease or hire of bog development equipment. The grants are available to any person who proposes to develop a bog for the production of turf for fuel. The scheme is administered by Bord na Móna and the funds to enable the grants to be paid are provided from the Vote for my Department. It is open to the person proposing to develop the bog to make his own arrangements with the county council or any other party to carry out the bog development work on his behalf. In addition my Department operate a scheme under which small grants are allocated to the county councils concerned for the improvement of bog and accommodation roads serving the four peat-burning electricity generating stations at Gweedore, Screebe, Milltown Malbay and Cahirciveen.