asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the serious deterioration which has taken place in the structure and condition of the county roads in County Limerick and if he will provide additional funds to Limerick County Council to prevent total collapse of the county road network.
Written Answers. - County Limerick Road Network.
50.
I am aware of the condition of roads generally, including county roads, in County Limerick. The State grants for roads allocated to Limerick County Council for 1985 amounted to £4,275,000. This grant represents an increase of 28 per cent relative to 1984. Primary responsibility for the planning and execution of improvement works on county roads rests with the local authorities. The expenditure involved falls to be financed by the local authorities from their own resources which may be supplemented by the block grant for roads paid annually by my Department. The block grant may also be used, in the case of county councils, for the improvement, maintenance and management of nonnational main roads and for the implementation of traffic management measures. The disposition of the block grant, including the extent, if any, to which it is to be applied to improvement works on county roads, is a matter for each local authority.
The block grant provision to Limerick County Council for 1985 amounted to £456,000 which represents an increase of over 33 per cent on the 1984 provision. In addition, since 1981, Limerick County Council have benefited from funds provided specifically for the improvement of county roads under the European Community western package. Funds provided to the council to date under the package total £97,900. In accordance with established practice under successive Governments, State grants are not provided for maintenance works on county roads. Expenditure under this heading falls to be financed from the local authorities' own resources. The block grant allocation to individual local authorities for 1986 will be determined following the settlement of the budgetary provision for road grants for 1986.