(Limerick West) asked the Minister for the Environment if he will consider allocating a special grant to local authorities in 1986 for the improvement of county roads.
Written Answers. - County Roads.
21.
The primary responsibility for the planning and execution of improvement works on county roads rests with 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 manner in which the block grant is spent, including the extent, if any, to which it is to be applied to improvement works on county roads, is largely a matter for each local authority.
The road grants notified to local authorities for 1986 include a sum of £20.4 million which has been allocated by way of block grant. This is 21 per cent higher than the corresponding grant in 1985. In addition, grant commitments totalling £3 million are being notified to county councils this year to finance improvement works on county roads used mainly for agriculture or forestry, in those parts of the country coming within the scope of the EC western package. This represents an increase of £1 million compared with 1985.
It is not possible at this stage to allocate any additional road grants to any local authority because the funds available in 1986 have been fully allocated. The Department are monitoring progress on grant-aided works during 1986. If it should appear later this year that the grant allocated to a local authority will not be required in full in 1986, the authority will be consulted and any possible savings will be reallocated to other authorities which require the additional funds and can spend the money involved this year.