Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Dec 1997

Vol. 484 No. 3

Written Answers. - Roads Funding.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

263 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will allocate a grant for the regional road through Spencer Street, Castlebar, County Mayo which would allow for the undergrounding of the ESB network and for the proper development of the street; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22136/97]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

The maintenance-improvement of non-national roads, including regional roads is a matter for local authorities, to be funded from their resources, supplemented by State grants.

My Department makes grants for non-national roads available to local authorities in various categories, covering different types of works, mainly discretionary grants and EU co-financed grants. The type of works referred to by the Deputy could be assisted from the discretionary grants. The selection and prioritisation of works to be grant-aided from the discretionary grants is a matter for the local authority concerned.

Apart from the funds available for the grants referred to above there are no funds at the disposal of my Department from which a special grant could be made available to Mayo County Council for the works in question.