Vol. 483 No. 3
241 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the physical targets, if any, which have been set in the ten-year special restoration programme for county roads adopted in 1996; the progress, if any, which has been made in 1996 and to date in 1997; the targets, if any, which have been set for 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20342/97]
The objective of the ten-year special restoration programme is to restore the network of regional and local roads in county areas, estimated at nearly 87,000 kms, to an acceptable standard by the year 2005. In 1996, 6,600 or 7.6 per cent of this network was improved or maintained using restoration programme grants from my Department. In 1997, it is expected that a further 7,600 kms or 8.8 per cent of the network will have benefited from this programme.
While I expect further significant progress to be made in 1998, on foot of the record total of £199 million provided for all non-national roads in the Abridged Estimates, the physical progress anticipated for 1998 cannot be exactly quantified until the detailed mix of works to be assisted under the restoration programme has been determined. Grant allocations to individual local authorities will be announced as early as possible in 1998.
