Vol. 577 No. 4
280 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the total amount of money allocated to Sligo County Council in 2002 and 2003 for road gritting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31499/03]
The maintenance of non-national roads is a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from the authority's own resources supplemented by State grants.
In 2002, the total non-national road grant payment from my Department to Sligo County Council was €9,695,551, of which a sum of €712,000 was paid in respect of the grant category, discretionary maintenance. This year, the initial non-national road grant allocation to Sligo County Council was €9,846,210, of which a sum of €712,000 was again allocated in respect of discretionary maintenance.
The council may use discretionary maintenance grants, supplemented by its own resources, to fund various works including gritting on non-national roads. The prioritisation of works to be funded is a matter for Sligo County Council.
