Vol. 499 No. 1
652 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will allocate the funding sought by the South Dublin Council to enable the remaining portions of the Firhouse Road to be realigned in 1999. [28341/98]
The maintenance-improvement of non-national roads in their area, including any proposed realignment of the Firhouse Road, is a matter for South Dublin County Council, to be funded from their own resources, as supplemented by allocations from the Local Government Fund. The initial selection and prioritisation of works/projects in South Dublin to which the various categories of non-national road grants, including EU co-financed grants, should be applied is a matter for South Dublin County Council and I have no role in this matter.
South Dublin County Council's original applications of 12 October 1998 to my Department for funding in 1999 under the EU co-financed scheme grants included an application for £2.0 million for Firhouse Road, Stage 4. However the council's total proposals envisaged expenditure of £12 million in 1999, which was greatly in excess of the appropriate expediture guideline; the proposals were therefore returned to the council for revision and resubmission. The council's revised proposal comprises one application for £2.5 million for Cookstown/Oldbawn distributor road.
I intend to announce non-national road grant allocations for 1999, including discretionary grants and EU co-financed grants, in the very near future.
