asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the rapid deterioration in the surface conditions of county roads in Connemara, County Galway; and the action he proposed to take in the matter before these roads are eventually beyond repair.

Responsibility for providing for road works on county roads in Connemara rests on Galway County Council. Normally, such works fall to be financed from the local authority's own resources supplemented, in the case of improvement works, by the block grants allocated annually by my Department. The authority have wide discretion in the determination of the programme of works to be undertaken with these funds.

Is the Minister prepared to accept that the funds available to Galway County Council are not adequate to maintain these roads at the standard at which they had been maintained previously? Will the Minister accept also that a serious deterioration of these roads is taking place and that the position as I have outlined is a possibility, that is, that the roads eventually will deteriorate beyond repair with very serious consequences for the whole economy of large sections of County Galway?

I accept the Deputy's concern. As he is aware, the figures in terms of the amounts of money granted from 1980 through 1982 were substantial. The Department are concerned that not only the local authority we are talking of but all other local authorities are experiencing problems in regard to county roads. We all recognise that part of that problem is the question of finance and we will have to think, in the context of the forthcoming budget and of future budgets, in terms of resolving the situation. It is not something that can be resolved in one year.

Surely the Minister has considered his budget for the coming year.

We will be having a long discussion on the budget soon.

Can the Minister of State give any indication as to when he and the Minister for the Environment intend taking action in 1983 in regard to this very serious matter?

We will be taking action but the breakdown of road applications for 1983 has not been completed yet.

Is the Minister in a position to give some indication to the House, and in particular to Members who are also members of local authorities, as to when the allocations will be announced?

We are entering into a discussion on the Department of the Environment.

I was just asking, arising from the Minister's answer, when it is expected that the allocations will be announced.

As I think the former Minister will readily appreciate, I am not yet in a position to give that information but as soon as I have the information I will communicate it to Deputy Burke.

This must be the final supplementary on this question.