asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the urgent need for traffic and pedestrian lights on Avondale Road, Killiney, County Dublin; and the action, if any, he will take in the matter.

17.

asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the serious condition of Avondale Road, Killiney, County Dublin; and the action, if any he will take to provide money as a matter of urgency to deal with the problem.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 17 together. The provision of traffic and pedestrian crossing lights is a matter for the road authority concerned acting at the request of, or with the consent of, the Garda Commissioner. I understand that the matter has been under consideration by Dublin County Council and will be considered further by the council having regard to the results of an overall assessment of the work which is to be undertaken shortly.

Responsibility for this road, including the provision of the finance for works thereon, rests with Dublin County Council as road authority. I have assisted the council by making a special road grant of £45,000 available to them for works on this road and it was used to replace defective sections of concrete.

When was the £45,000 made available? In the ordinary way one should not be raising the matter of roads here——

I agree.

——but in this instance the matter is very serious in a number of respects. One is that there has been a number of very serious accidents on this road. It is used as a speedway and generally it is a hazard to those who use it. In those circumstances I am asking the Minister to take a personal interest in the matter in his capacity as junior Minister at the Department. I know that colleagues of his in the constituency have been in touch with him on the matter.

The money was made available in 1983.

At what date in 1983? What was made available was literally a drop in the ocean in terms of what was required.

Obviously, I cannot give a specific date since allocations are made in respect of specific years. The allocation in this case was used to replace defective sections of concrete on the road in question.

It has been ineffective.

Questions Nos. 18 to 23, inclusive, postponed.