Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Roads Funding.

John Perry

Ceist:

624 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, due to the delay with the inquiry report on the Tully-Strandhill road, County Sligo, the money allocated for the improvements of the road will be spent elsewhere; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the volume of traffic on this road has increased, together with the level of public outrage that the diversion of funding has caused; the reason for the delay with publication of the report; when the final report will be made available to ensure that the work can commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18287/99]

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

A public local inquiry into the objections received against confirmation of the Sligo County Council (R292 Tully-Strandhill Road Realignment) Order, 1998, was held on 6 July 1999. The report of the person who held the inquiry has been submitted. There will be no avoidable delay on my part in determining the issue of whether the order should be confirmed.

Sligo County Council were notified of a £370,000 grant in respect of the R292 Strandhill Road, Tully-St. Anne's Church, scheme when I announced details of non-national road grants in February of this year.

Based on the council's written request of 13 July 1999, £365,000 of the original allocation was transferred to two other schemes as the council indicated that it would not be possible for it to expend the full allocation in the current year.

It will be open to Sligo County Council to prioritise the R292 Strandhill Road, Tully-St. Anne's Church, scheme for funding under the EU co-financed scheme in 2000, assuming that this scheme, or a similar scheme, will be in operation.