Vol. 415 No. 4
24 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the recommendation of the Industrial Policy Review Group that the Department of the Environment should concentrate on roads that give the highest economic return per pound spent; and whether this will mean that his Department have to revise their priorities which are based on traffic volumes per road.
I welcome the recommendation of the Industrial Policy Review Group that the momentum for increased investment on road improvements should be maintained and that there should be a concentration on roads that give the highest economic return per pound spent. I also welcome the review group's support for the investment strategy outlined in the operational programme on peripherality and in particular their endorsement of the strategy for national primary roads which emphasises the development of strategic routes and the remedying of capacity deficiencies. The review group consider that this emphasis is correct in view of the high proportion of all traffic using these roads. In the circumstances there is no necessity to revise the priorities as set out in the operational programme on peripherality.
Will the Minister accept that a prime objective — if not the prime objective — when determining the expenditure of public funds on roads should be the maximising of employment? Is he telling the House that the priority list published in the operational roads programme represents the optimum employment focus or will he review the published priorities to see if maximum employment can be derived from road building?
Yes, but there must be a balance. Obviously, there is need for heavy machinery which in a way displaces employment. Everybody agrees that all elements of the construction industry provide good employment and it is important to maximise the employment content of that industry. In regard to the issue we are discussing, £27 million extra is being provided for national primary roads in the current year, and that will generate further employment.
As a corollary, will the Minister accept that road maintenance, particularly road works carried out by local authorities, is a very important and traditional source of employment and is very cost effective in that it saves the State refurbishment moneys? Will he consider the number of personnel employed on county council road works to see if extra jobs can be created in that sphere?
The Deputy can take it that every opportunity to create employment within the resources available is taken by me and my Department.
