asked the Minister for the Environment the progress, if any, which has been made since his banishment of potholes statement, which he made in the media (details supplied); and when he expects Ireland to be free of potholes.
32.
Written Answers. - Roads Structure.
28.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will indicate the amount of money he intends to raise by the selling of local authority houses; and, in view of the appalling state of the roads, if any of this money will be made available for the repair of these roads.
55.
asked the Minister for the Environment the target date for the completion of his campaign to eliminate potholes on public roads as announced by him at the recent Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis.
133.
asked the Minister for the Environment the action, if any, he proposes to take to protect the county road structure which has rapidly deteriorated over the past seven years.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 32, 55 and 133 together.
My statements referred to the question of county roads. Responsibility for the execution and financing of roadworks, including the repair of potholes on such roads, is primarily a matter for each local authority. However, because of my concern about the state of the county road system which has deteriorated in recent years, special measures have been taken to increase the level of State funding for works on such roads.
In 1987 a total of £15 million was allocated to local authorities for strengthening county roads, compared with £5 million in 1986. A further £15 million has been allocated in 1988. I have also decided that, in future, local authorities can use the block grant for roads on surface dressing and repair of potholes on primary county roads. Local authorities can also adopt a more flexible approach to the grant for strengthening county roads which should be spent on primary county roads as far as practicable. Where it is evident that a stretch of road with a number of potholes is in need of strengthening, the remedial works can qualify for the strengthening grant if the cost of the strengthening is more than half the total cost of the works. The specific measures to be undertaken on foot of the State grant assistance is a matter for each local authority.
Detailed information has been received from all county councils, in response to a departmental circular, issued in May 1987, about the condition of the network of county roads together with estimates of the level of investment required to remedy deficiencies in the network. I am considering this information in the context of the preparation of a blueprint for road development which I intend to publish within the next few months. The blueprint will address the question of the medium to long-term development needs of the entire system of public roads, including the network of county roads.
Receipts from the sale of local authority houses which mainly comprise weekly annuities payable by tenant purchasers, will depend on the take-up of the scheme by tenants. In the case of authorities making house purchase loans 60 per cent of the proceeds must be devoted to the making of such loans.