asked the Minister for the Environment if he has given any consideration to the establishment of a national roads authority.

The setting up of a national road authority would entail the taking of statutory and financial responsibility for the national route network from the road authorities. When preparing the road development plan for the eighties, I decided, after considering the advantages and disadvantages of such a course of action, to preserve the statutory position and traditional autonomy of road authorities. However, the Government's roads policy calls for a continuing review of administrative procedures, and this would include the issue of a national road authority.

Will the Minister indicate the degree of financial autonomy that a local authority has in 1980 in relation to roads?

It will depend on the amount of money the local authorities allocate.

Do I take it from the Minister that since the road authorities are allocated funds from central Government their actual autonomy in real terms does not exist?

It is up to each authority to decide where they are going to spend the money. It has always been a matter for the road authorities to do that except where national primary routes are concerned.

If local authorities do not get money they cannot spend it.

Does the Minister agree that local authorities have virtually no autonomy particularly, as he admits, in relation to the national primary routes? All sanctions must be given there and all the money is made available on an annual basis. The money made available in relation to non-primary routes is generally money required for routine maintenance but not for general development. Local authorities have no control.

That has always been the case.

As long as that is acknowledged I am satisfied.

We can have a chat about that another day. We must move on to the next question.

In view of what the Minister has disclosed would he not consider that national primary routes could properly and more efficiently be handled by a national authority?

That could be looked into but I have an open mind on that matter.

21.