By agreement, I have decided to allocate the last four to five minutes of my time to Senator O'Brien who wishes to contribute to the debate.
Adjournment Matter. - County Cavan Roads.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
Is that agreed? Agreed.
It would be worth while to begin by stating the problem since I did decide to raise the issue on the Adjournment. No matter how colourfully I describe the roads of Cavan, no matter what extremes of language I seek to so describe them, I will not in any sense convey properly the conditions of those roads. Most of the county roads of Cavan at the moment, as those who travel those roads will know, are covered with craters and potholes. The best way I could describe them is as being akin to the Tibetan passes of India. There is major subsidence of the roads. The potholes on the roads are so big they are a safe refuge at the moment for perch and pike. I often wonder if there would not be a case for a rod licence to be applied to the roads of Cavan, they are in such a horrendous condition.
The problem is so grevious that the school buses can barely travel on some of the roads and their drivers have refused to travel on others. The public health nurses, ambulance crews and general practitioners are refusing to travel many of the roads. The quality of life of the people at the backs of the hills and on the by-roads and county roads of Cavan is diminished beyond measure. It is impossible to drive a car safely for any distance on them. The hardships to the local people there is immense and I am in no sense overstating the problem.
The difficulty has been contributed to by a number of factors. County Cavan is a drumlin county and has a difficult topography. It also has a very large food processing sector. In the county of Cavan there is a quarter of a million pigs in pig units. There are large milk plants at Killeshandra and Baileborough. Cavan has a very high county road mileage — 1,500 miles. It has no railways and no airstrips. Traffic going to Greenore and Larne must travel through County Cavan. The county caters for extremely high volume of traffic and, as is the case throughout the country, there has been a major increase in heavy traffic and cars on these roads in recent years. The situation is grevious beyond measure. So much so, that some local residents decided at a recent meeting to block their road for a few hours a day as a form of protest. There have been meetings throughout the county in community centres and halls. A road action committee is in existence in the county and has held public meetings throughout the county. I find it necessary to inform the House of how serious the problem is, how seriously the people perceive the problem to be and how terrible an imposition the condition of the roads are on the lives of decent tax-paying people.
A recent technical report from engineers was presented to the estimates meeting of Cavan County Council, which unanimously refused to pass or even debate the Estimates on the grounds that we could not proceed to discuss estimates considering the conditions in which the people are living. At the last meeting it was established that, of the 270 miles of main roads, 23 are suitable for modern traffic — those are not my words, they are the words of the professional experts. Of the 1,500 miles of county roads, and I quote: "Many of these miles are impassable". The problem there is tremendous.
Last year we were able, from our rate support grant and local revenue, to allocate £187,000 for maintenance of county roads. It was proposed in the estimates this year that £202,000 be allocated in the coming year for maintenance of the county roads. Last year we got £740,000 from central funds. It is the opinion of the professional engineers, consulting engineers and lay and professional people throughout County Cavan that there is need for a programme of county road improvement.
Under that programme a minimum of £7 million would be necessary this year and another £7 million next year to put the roads in any kind of working condition. Obviously I do not have to point out to the House that each year the roads proceed to deteriorate more. I propose to conclude on the next point and to allow the next speaker to contribute. With your indulgence, we would like to give the last two minutes to Senator Ó Foighil.
Our tourist industry, which is central to the local economy in County Cavan, is suffering because of the condition of the roads. Volumes of letter have been sent to the editors of local newspapers from returned emigrants complaining about the condition of the roads. Our food processing sector, which is central to our economy, is in jeopardy because of a failure of heavy vehicles to get in and out expeditiouly to those locations. Our agricultural industry in general is suffering and, most importantly, the social and cultural lives of the people is in shreds because of the situation. It is now incumbent on the Government to rush through a vastly increased allocation of money, way above the rumoured allocations, for the upkeep of these roads and that is my contention to the House.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach
I call Senator O'Brien. I understand he wishes to share some of his time with Senator Ó Foighil, if the House has no objection.
I agree with Senator O'Reilly's description of the roads in Cavan. I would also like to air the views of the people of Monaghan regarding the state of the roads in that county. The county roads of Monaghan are in a very bad state. They have deteriorated over the last seven or eight years. In 1976 and 1977 we got only £8 million for our main and county roads and in 1978 we got £15 million. That is when the trouble began, because there was not enough money being provided for main and county roads. This is a very serious problem. The roads in County Monaghan were not built to carry the type of traffic they are now carrying. They were built many years ago to accommodate much lighter traffic. Railways were provided in the county then but now the roads carry all the freight in and out of the county. The drumlin type soil of the county roads cannot stand up to the heavy traffic they are carrying. The county roads were built years ago for horses and carts but now milk tankers, oil tankers, meal transport, all developments that took place in the last two decades in the farming community, are using them. That transport goes in and out to the farms and different towns. I appeal to the Government to provide extra money for the county roads which are the big problem in Monaghan.
I would like to pay special tribute to the Minister and congratulate him. In 1988 some £47 million was provided for main and county roads and in 1989 some £60 million is being provided. We are going in the right direction but more money needs to be provided for the main and county roads. I am very happy with, and welcome the substantial increase — a staggering figure of £60 million — being provided in the present year. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Harney, and thank her.
Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil aon deis againn an tseachtain seo comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le duine ar bith. Táimid ag caint anois faoi bhóithre na tíre seo. Tá Seanadóirí eile tar éis bheith ag caint faoi bhóithre atá ann. Táimse a dhul a chaint faoi bhóithre a bhí ann agus nach bhfuil ann anois. Tá siad imithe scon scan ón tír. Shiúil muid uilig sa Teach seo an tír nuair a bhíomar ag dul thart ag iarraidh vótaí a chruinniú le haghaidh an tSeanaid. Cuirfidh mé geall le haon Seanadóir nach raibh aon áit níos measa ar aon bhealach ná na bóithre thiar i gConamara agus baineann sé seo leis an gCabhán agus le Muineachán. Toghcheantair na hEorpa a bhfuilimid ag caint futhu anois, agus is cuid de thoghcheantar na hEorpa Conamara.
Tá an scéal chomh dona sin ag an nóiméad seo go mbeidh máirseáil mhór agóide ag muintir Chonamara Dé Luain seo chughainn ag déanamh ar oifigí Chomhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe, áit a mbeidh rún á phlé ag na comhairleoirí contae ag iarraidh ar an chomhairle chontae na bóithre a thréigean. Is í an chiall atá leis an bhfocal "tréigean" i mBéarla ná "abandon"—"éirí as".
Tá an chomhairle chontae tar éis a rá linne, agus tá sé ráite leis na Seanadóirí go léir i ngach contae, nach bhfuil dóthain airgid ann le caoi cheart a chur ar na bóithre. Tá ráiteas déanta ag Príomhinnealtóir Chontae na Gaillimhe a rá ag an nóiméad seo go dteastóidh £15 mhilliúin tirim maidin amárach le caoi éicint a chur ar bhóithre Chonamara. Má cheaptar gur flaithiúlacht é, mar a dúradh nóiméad ó shin, go bhfuil an Rialtas i mbliana ag dul ag cur £20 milliún sa bhreis ar fáil don tír ar fad, má roinneann tú é sin idir sé chontae is fiche, nó seacht gcontae is fiche má chuireann tú dhá chomhairle chontae Thiobraid Árann san áireamh, feicfidh tú nach mbeidh le le fáil ag aon chontae ach thart ar £600,000 sa bhreis.
I nGaillimh tá deich gcinn de cheantracha innealtóireachta agus, má roinneann tú é sin ar an deich, beidh suas le trí scór míle punt le fáil ag gach ceantar. Ag an nóiméad seo tá bóthar beag amháin i gConamara atá titithe as a chéile go hiomlán agus chosnódh sé £60,000 le caoi a chur air. Mar sin, as an airgead breise go léir a bhfuil an Rialtas ag caint faoina chur ar fáil, an méid a bheas le fáil i gContae na Gaillimhe, ní chuirfidh sé caoi ach ar bhóthar bheag amháin ceithre mhíle ar fhad, mar go bhfuil sé titithe agus imithe as a chéile.
Léiríonn sé sin, dar liomsa, cé chomh dona agus cé chomh huafásach is atá ceist na mbóithre. Tá mé ag tacú leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir O'Reilly, go bhfuil sé thar am go ndéanfadh an Rialtas beart de réir an ghéarghá atá ann, agus airgead thar na bearta a chur ar fáil i mbliana; mar na bóithre nach ndéanfar i mbliana ní bheidh siad ann le déanamh an chéad bhliain eile.
Is ag dul in olcas atá an scéal lá i ndiaidh lae. Nach aisteach an rud é go bhfuil daoine thiar i gConamara lánsásta dul amach maidin amárach agus na sliogáiní bóthair, nó na potholes mar a thugtar orthu, a líonadh iad féin — tá cleachtadh maith agamsa bheith ag líonadh potholes freisin; chaith mé na blianta á ndéanamh — ach níl aon chead acu. Tá an dlí chomh haisteach sin anois go bhfuilimid i sáinn chomh maith le chuile shórt eile. Tá sé ar nós an mhadra sa mháinséar, the dog in the manger. Ní féidir leis an chomhairle chontae iad a dhéanamh. Ní thabharfaidh an Rialtas an t-airgead dóibh chun iad a dhéanamh. Ní ligfidh an chomhairle chontae do mhuintir na háite iad a dhéanamh iad féin, atá sásta iad a dhéanamh. An té a déarfas liomsa nach bhfuil crisis ann ó thaobh bhóithre na hÉireann agus bóithre chontaetha na hÉireann de, tá dul amú mór air.
Cén fáth go bhfuil sé tagaithe chomh dona sin, go gcaithfidh rún bheith os comhair Chomhairle Contae na Gaillimhe Dé Luain seo chugainn ag iarraidh ar a gcomhairleoirí bóithre Chonamara a thréigean — to abandon roads in Conamara. Céard a chiallaíonn an rún sin má théann sé tríd? Tiocfaidh sé suas anseo go dtí an tAire Comhshaoil agus caithfidh seisean fiosrú áitiúil a chur ar bun le míniú iomlán a thabhairt ar an bhfáth a bhfuil an beart seo á dhéanamh acu.
Níl an scéal go maith. Tá sé léirithe anseo anocht cé chomh dona is atá sé. Is deas liomsa deis a bheith agam cúnamh a thabhairt don éacht atá déanta anocht ó thaobh bhóithre an Chabháin agus Mhuineacháin de. Dá seasfadh chuile dhuine de na Seanadóirí suas anseo anocht bheadh an rud céanna le rá ag gach duine acu faoi gach contae lena mbaineann siad. Mar sin, tá sé thar am rud a dhéanamh. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an scéal le fáil ag an Aire anocht ón gcruinniú seo, agus mura mbeidh, beidh scéal le cloisteáil aige agus le feiceáil aige ar Theilifís Éireann Dé Luain seo chugainn.
I note the Adjournment matter concerns itself with funding for Cavan County Council. I did not know the council had responsibility for Connemara. Senators were a little wide in their interpretation of the Adjournment matter.
Senator O'Reilly began by telling us that he was not going to be colourful; he then went on to compare the roads in Cavan to the Tibetan passes into India. I do not know if the Senator has been to India but if he has I do not think in fairness he could compare the roads in Cavan — on which I travelled recently — with what are called roads or passes in India. We have to have a sense of proportion and not over-exaggerate in these matters.
As the Senator knows, the primary responsibility for the funding of works on non-national roads, including county roads, rests with individual local authorities. Traditionally, work on these roads was financed from local resources, with limited State road grant assistance. However, because of the concern about the deterioration to the network of county roads, significantly enhanced levels of road grants have been provided in the past few years to supplement local authority expenditure on them.
The Minister for the Environment has already announced that the Government have embarked on a three-year programme involving discretionary grants totalling £150 million for the improvement and maintenance of county and regional roads. Grants totalling £47.4 million have been allocated for this purpose in 1989. This compares with £33.4 million for similar works in 1988 and £14.5 million in 1985. The 1989 discretionary road grant allocations notified to Cavan County Council for regional and county roads amount to £1.528 million, which represent, an increase of £319,000 or 26 per cent on the grant payments made under equivalent headings in 1988. That is almost two and a half times the level of the grant payments in 1985.
The 1989 grant was provided on the following basis: block grant for maintenance work, £252,000; block grant for improvement work, £1.119 million and the European Community Western Package for local roads, £157,000. The discretionary grants are allocated in proportion to the mileage of non-national roads in each county. Cavan County Council were allocated their fair share of available resources in 1989. The conditions governing expenditure of the grants were changed in 1989 to give more discretion to county councils and to allow more funds to be spent on surplus restoration. Local authorities may spend up to half their block grant for road improvements on this type of work in 1989.
The funds available for road grants in 1989 were allocated in full to local authorities earlier this year and there are now no additional resources available which would allow extra road grants to be given to Cavan County Council, or, indeed, to any other local authority in 1989. The Minister for the Environment has allocated a rate support grant of £3.78 million to Cavan County Council for 1990 and this has now been notified to the council. The rate support grant for 1990 represents an increase of 3.5 per cent over the 1989 grant. The rate support grant for Cavan County Council has been adjusted on a number of occasions in recent years in respect of the elimination of local authority financial responsibility for contributions towards supplementary welfare allowances, county committees of agriculture, loan charges written off under the local loans fund and in respect of rates payable by the ESB to the council.
A road grant provision for 1990 has now been determined and the Minister for the Environment will shortly be announcing the allocations available to the local authorities. I understand he intends to do this within the next week. As recently announced, increased funding is being provided for roads in 1990 and Senator O'Reilly and the other Senators can be assured that Cavan County Council will be allocated its share of the additional funds.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday 23 November 1989.