Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 1 Dec 1993

Vol. 436 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Bray (Wicklow) Road Grant Allocation.

Ms McManus

I thank you, Sir, for allowing me raise this matter on the Adjournment.

As a member of Bray UDC I am well aware of the demands made on local authorities and the difficulties they experience in fulfilling their requirements, particularly the difficulty of extracting funding from Central Government. Bray UDC is a progressive authority which has attempted to keep pace with the rapid development of the town, now the eighth largest town nationwide, its population being approximately 28,000 and likely to see a further increase.

The amount of roadway has increased substantially over a very short period as a result of this development. For example, since 1979 cumulative length of roadway has risen by 84.4 per cent, an indication of the massive expansion that has taken place. The cumulative length now in charge is 55.25 kilometres whereas pre-1979 that figure was 29.89 kilometres. This is an indication of the very rapid expansion that has taken place, an astonishing increase that any town would have great difficulty in bearing, particularly in that we have many needs to be met including those in tourism, housing and employment.

It is impossible for the local authority to provide good quality roads and footpaths with the low allocation we have received from the Minister's Department. This year the Minister announced an increased allocation for local authority grants totalling £340 million, the highest ever provision for roads. Sadly, within that allocation Bray has done very badly, receiving only £32,000. When one considers the grants allocated to other urban district councils in the same year one realises just how badly Bray is losing out. For example, the town of Birr, a much smaller place, was allocated £45,000; Clonakilty, £50,000; Cobh, £63,000; Dundalk over £2 million, Killarney £50,000; Templemore £35,000. All received more than Bray. I appreciate that these allocations include special grants as well as the block grant but that does not alter the fact that, at the end of the day, the amount of money going to those areas in comparison with Bray is a lot more substantial. Bray is simply not getting adequate funding.

I raised this matter with the Minister by way of parliamentary question but the response I received was totally unacceptable. He stated that two urban district councils had received an allocation of £32,000, the highest grant given out under the block grant.

I have two points to make. First, we in Bray have not received any special grant. I am not sure whether we are the largest urban district council but certainly we would be one of the largest, a town experiencing massive growth over quite an extended period and which will continue to witness such growth because of its proximity to Dublin.

An application has been submitted today to the Minister for a special grant for road strengthening. It is in that regard I would ask the Minister to consider the inequity that Bray is experiencing. The application is for the strengthening of 17 roads to be carried out on a phased basis. I would urge the Minister to look favourably on this application which would make up the shortfall we are experiencing.

At present we have a major traffic problem in the town, partly occasioned by the general growth, but exacerbated by the fact that there is only one bridge over the river, leading to a concentration of traffic within the centre of the town which in turn creates its own pressures and a major headache for people using the roadways. As part of our initiative to tackle this problem Bray Urban District Council has commissioned a traffic plan which would cost £2 million if implemented in total. We will endeavour to implement that plan albeit on a phased basis. It incorporates many innovative ideas and might well form a model for other areas. For example it contains many ideas on traffic claming and environmentally-friendly traffic controls.

I would ask the Minister to take on board the case I make. I do not make it lightly. I appreciate that every local authority feels hard done by. Before I engage in special pleading I put a certain amount of thought into it. There are many arguments I could advance for funding for Bray Urban District Council, but this is of particular importance because of the shortfall we have experienced. I ask the Minister to approve the special grant application before him.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Mr. Browne,

Wexford): I thank Deputy McManus for raising this matter. The Deputy will be aware that the improvement and maintenance of urban roads in Bray is the responsibility of the urban district council's own resources supplemented by the discretionary block grant allocation provided annually by my Department. The total block grant provision available for urban authorities this year is £5.5 million. Two councils, one of which was Bray UDC, received block grant allocations of £32,000 which were the highest such grants notified to urban district councils.

Some authorities, including urban councils received additional special grants for specific works on non-national roads in their area, the effect of which may have been to bring their overall level of grant assistance from the Department above the allocation made to Bray. I must emphasise that these special grants were made in respect of applications submitted to the Department by the authorities concerned and following the assessment of their merits on a case by case basis. A limited provision is set aside each year for such grants — £5.7 million in 1993 — so that the maximum possible funding can be made available in the form of block grants for use at the discretion of local authorities.

The length of road for which Bray UDC is responsible has, I understand, increased by more than 80 per cent since 1979 due in large measure to the number of housing estates constructed in the town which were subsequently taken in charge by the council. However, any particular difficulties which may have arisen in relation to the maintenance and improvement of roads have not been brought to the attention of the Department, nor has an application been made for a special grant allocation. In these circumstances, I am satisfied that the allocation to Bray UDC this year is reasonable having regard to the overall funds available for urban roads and the competing demands from other councils.

I understand that the UDC has engaged consultants to prepare a traffic plan for the town and that an assessment has also been carried out to establish needs in respect of road strengthening. My Department will consider any application which may be made for special grant assistance on foot of these studies.

Deputies will be aware that under the National Development Plan it is proposed that State road grants amounting to £475 million will be provided for the improvement of non-national roads in the period 1994 to 1999, of which £235 million is expected to qualify for assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. The co-financed expenditure will be directed specificially towards roads which are important for the generation of economic activity and jobs in industry, tourism, fisheries, forestry or rural development. The precise criteria, which have to be agreed with the EU Commission, will be finalised as soon as possible and notified to local authorities. Road grant allocations will be determined annually on the basis of applications submitted by authorities to the Department. The level of individual allocations will depend on the overall amount of the State funding available, the compliance of the applications with the relevant eligibility criteria and the relative priority of projects.

The non-co-financed element of grants proposed to be available for non-national roads over the period 1994-99 — £240 million — will be distributed between local authorities and discretionary block grants generally on a similar basis as applies at present in the case of these grants. The dual scheme of grants will afford every opportunity to Bray UDC to increase its share of State road grants.