Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Nov 1995

Vol. 457 No. 7

Written Answers. - County Meath Roads.

Colm M. Hilliard

Ceist:

153 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Meath County Council is unable to improve very dangerous bends on county roads due to a lack of finance and if he will consider giving some extra financial assistance; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that there are 2,500 miles of county roads in County Meath, many of which are used by non-County Meath traffic going to and from Dublin City each day and that Meath County Council is obliged to keep these roads in good repair out of its own local rates; if he will consider giving some kind of refund for such road expenses; and when he will inform the local authorities of the 10 year county road plan grant as the Meath County Council is currently finalising its 1996 roadworks scheme or will it have to wait until the end of the year for this information as in 1995. [15969/95]

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Howlin):

Responsibility for improvement and maintenance works on non-national roads in County Meath is a matter for Meath County Council; such works are financed from the council's own resources, supplemented by State grants. Total grant allocations to the county council in 1995 for these roads amount to £4.18 million, an increase of £564,000, or 16 per cent, on the corresponding grant payments figure for 1994. The discretionary grant allocation of £1.958 million to the council this year includes a sum of £400,000 for supplementary improvement works in recognition of the special needs of the county. I allocated an additional £20 million to county councils last July to initiate the special restoration programme for non-national roads. Meath County Council's allocation of £982,000 under this programme included a sum of £425,000 in recognition of the special needs of the county.

It will be clear from the foregoing that the grant allocations already made have in fact taken account of the special needs and circumstances of counties such as Meath. I will notify local authorities as soon as possible of their grant allocations for 1996, including the grants under the special restoration programme.