asked the Minister for the Environment the procedures that must be adopted in order to designate the road from Donegal town to Killybegs, County Donegal, as a national primary route.

Section 2 of the Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act, 1974, enables the Minister, by order, to declare any existing road to be a national road.

In view of the fact that the percentage of County Donegal roads designated as national primary roads is very small and since Donegal County Council have established by a survey that the stretch of this road between Donegal and Mountcharles is the busiest in the county, will the Minister give an assurance that the road from Donegal to Killybegs will be declared a national primary route?

I have no application from Donegal County Council to regrade this road.

If such an application were made, would the Minister approve it?

When I receive such an application I will have it examined and make a decision.

Has the Minister any information about the number of roads in respect of which Donegal County Council have applied for upgrading to secondary or national primary routes?

I am open to correction on this, but I do not think there has been any application from Donegal to have a road regraded.

Would the Minister make inquiries to find out if several requests have been made for the upgrading of roads in County Donegal?

There may have been previous applications which were turned down, but as far as I know there are no applications in the Department at present.

10.