Additional £8 million road allocation
The Minister said the extra £8 million was included in the 1984 allocations for national and major urban roads, with no separate breakdown available. He expects the funding to keep the road plan current and accelerate it; any year-end reallocation will depend on spending, with a review later in the year.
asked the Minister for the Environment how he intends to spend the extra £8 million allocated for road development; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
26.
Comment on this
asked the Minister for the Environment how the additional Exchequer allocation of £8 million for road improvements will be spent; if the allocation has been divided between improvements and new road projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 26 together.
It is assumed that the questions refer to the additional allocation of £8 million for improvements on national and major urban roads, which was provided in this year's budget. The 1984 road grant allocations notified to local authorities on 24 February 1984 took account of the total of the funds available to me for road works at that time, including the £8 million announced in the budget. A separate breakdown of the allocation of the extra £8 million is not available.
Comment on this
Will that £8 million be sufficient to keep up to date the national road development plan in the famous blue book?
Comment on this
This is an additional £8 million and we hope not only to keep the blue book proposals up to date but to accelerate them.
Comment on this
Will the Minister confirm that the road development plan is up to date, that the construction phase for 1984 has been reached and that the allocations have been updated?
Comment on this
The road allocations for last year and this year have been increased over the allocations made by Deputy Burke's Government so as to ensure that the road plan is kept up to date and accelerated.
Comment on this
The allocations were made on 24 February for all the funds available. Whether any money becomes available towards the end of the year will depend on how the funds are spent.
Comment on this
We are all aware that certain local authorities do not spend as much of the funds allocated to them as others. Has the Minister considered a reallocation or reassessment, particularly in regard to the Curragh road which has been built but not opened?