asked the Minister for the Environment the reason for the reduction of the special grant for main and county roads which has been allocated to Kildare County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter having regard to the excessive volume of traffic the roads in County Kildare have to bear.
Written Answers. - County Kildare Roads Grant.
484.
I presume that the Deputy is referring to the special grant allocation for county road strengthening.
On 28 January 1987 grants totalling £10 million were allocated to local authorities for county road strengthening on the basis of domestic water charges collected in each area. On 23 March, road grant allocations generally were withdrawn as part of a general review of financial provisions for 1987 made in the context of the budget of 31 March. On 9 April revised allocations were notified to local authorities which included an increased provision of £15 million for county roads strengthening. This sum was allocated on the basis of the county road mileage in each county, which I consider to be a more appropriate basis for the allocation than that provided for in the grants allocated on 28 January. On this basis, the original allocation of £322,000 to Kildare County Council was revised to £315,000.