asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the urgent need for extra financial resources by Galway County Council to carry out essential repairs to roads in Connemara; and if he has any proposals to make extra resources available to make these roads passable.
Written Answers. - Connemara Roads.
465.
The total amount of money allocated by my Department for road works in the county of Galway amounted to £6.297 million in 1984, compared with £4.933 million paid in 1983. This represents an increase of 28 per cent compared with 5 per cent for the country as a whole.
Regarding the Connemara area, commitments totalling £563,000 have been made in 1984 for improvements on the Galway to Clifden road and £250,000 for strengthening works on the regional roads in the area. Connemara may also benefit from the provision of £685,000 for the normal programme of maintenance work on the national secondary roads and from the block grant of £812,000 to Galway County Council. The allocation of the block grant is almost entirely a matter for the local authority. The authority may also finance the cost of road works from its own resources.
There are no funds at my disposal at present from which additional grants could be allocated for road works.