Road programme and grant allocations
Related questions on the road programme are taken together. The Parliamentary Secretary says 1977 road grants have not yet been settled and distinguishes the Foras Forbartha study from grant allocations.
asked the Minister for Local Government if, in relation to his announcement in County Wexford recently that the report of An Foras Forbartha, which states that the country requires at least 186 miles of motorways plus improved national primary and national secondary roads, will be shelved means that there will be a serious cut-back in 1977 in the allocation of road grants, in real terms, to county councils for major road improvement works; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
23.
Comment on this
andMr. Moore asked the Minister for Local Government if the Liffey crossing and approach roads project sanctioned in January, 1974, will proceed; and when work will commence on the project.
24.
Comment on this
andMr. Moore asked the Minister for Local Government the plans he has for the relief of the severe traffic congestion in Dublin city.
Comment on this
As Questions Nos. 22, 23 and 24 are related to my recent statement on the development of motorways I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take them together.
The level of Road Fund grants for 1977 will be settled in due course as part of the decisions on allocations from central funds for that year for the various services for which my Department have overall responsibility. This is a separate issue from the review of the Foras Forbartha study on the needs of a particular sector of the public roads of the country.
As I indicated in my statement, the Dublin City and County Manager has been asked to review the recommendations of the Dublin Transportation Study. These recommendations included the Liffey crossing and approach roads referred to in the questions, and no doubt the city manager's review will embrace them. I do not propose to comment further on these specific proposals pending that review.
Measures to deal with traffic congestion in Dublin city are a matter for the Dublin Corporation, acting with the consent of or at the request of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána in respect of traffic management measures. As part of my policy of devolution of responsibility to local authorities, I arranged last year that the major urban authorities including Dublin Corporation would henceforth have a very wide range of discretion in the use of the block grant now allocated to them, and in particular in the selection and implementation of schemes of traffic management financed with the aid of the block grant.