Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:215 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will make a statement on the proposed bridge at Narrow Water, County Louth. [7372/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 3 March 2005
Ceisteanna (215, 216)
Freagraí scríofa
The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded from non-national road grants in County Louth is a matter for Louth County Council. No application has been received in my Department from Louth County Council for funding in 2005 for a bridge at Narrow Water, County Louth. It is, however, open to the council to prioritise this project for funding under the EU co-financed specific improvement grant scheme in 2006, when applications are sought later this year by my Department.
As this would be a cross-Border project, an agreement with the Roads Service in Northern Ireland would be necessary regarding the project. I understand that no such agreement has yet been concluded.
Emmet Stagg
Ceist:216 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has received an application for supplementary funding for roads in the Turnings area of Straffan, County Kildare from Kildare County Council in the context of the Ryder Cup 2006; if he will approve a supplementary grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7378/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2004, my Department paid a special grant of €1,149,103 to Kildare County Council for improvement works to two roads in County Kildare that will provide access to the Ryder Cup venue, that is, the Kill interchange, N7, to Straffan and Straffan to Barberstown Cross, R403. A further special grant allocation of €4 million has been made to the council in 2005 for improvement works to these roads.
Kildare County Council wrote to my Department in 2004 seeking extra funds of €325,000 for the road from Straffan Bridge to Sallins via Turnings in the event that additional grant monies would become available during 2004. The council was informed that the proposed work would be appropriate to the restoration improvement programme and that it would be open to the council to seek approval to carry out the scheme in 2004 on the basis that the expenditure could be recouped as a first charge in 2005 against the restoration improvement grant or consider including the scheme in the restoration programme for works from 2005 on. The council did not proceed with either of these options.
The council wrote to my Department in January 2005, again seeking extra funds for this road. My Department would have no objection if the council wishes to revise its 2005 restoration improvement programme to include restoration improvement works on this section of road or alternatively include it in its programme of works from 2006 onwards.