In common with all county councils, South Dublin County Council was notified on 1 February 1999 of its 1999 allocation for non-national roads. The allocation amounted to £4.526 million and included a grant of over £2 million for the Cookstown-Old Bawn Distributor Road under the EU co-financed scheme of grants. South Dublin County Council has also been making a case to my Department for substantial additional funding, beyond currently available budget lines, for a number of major road improvement projects arising from exceptional traffic and development demands affecting the area.
As part of this process, my Department received a request from South Dublin County Council on 3 March 1999 for grant assistance towards Firhouse Road West/ Bohernabreena Road. The cost of the project is estimated by the council to be £6.9 million plus VAT and includes a bridge over the River Dodder. As a first step in considering the matter, the council has been asked to prioritise the various additional schemes for which it is seeking funding from my Department, including the Outer Ring Road, Knocklyon Road Re-Alignment, Firhouse Road West/Bohernabreena Road.
On receipt of the council's response, the matter will receive further consideration in my Department.
