Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is an explanation for that. In the case of some of the roads in Connemara, the distances and the costs are far greater because the works involve going through granite. Some of those roads are quite long. One road was done on the way to Leitir Fir. It is a long road. I had it done for the first time ever many years ago. It needed to be done again. Some of these roads are very expensive. How is the Minister going to leave a family or two or three families who have been living there for three or four generations without access to the house?

I think the Minister has a point. Unless a council can prove absolute justification it might not be a bad idea to put an average maximum cost on a scheme. There is a temptation in some county councils to subvent other roads purposes by putting up the unit price. It would be worthwhile thinking about saying to council councils that unless there are exceptional circumstances they will not get a grant of more than X euro per linear metre. All the roads are approximately 11 ft. or 3 m wide. There is something of a temptation in some county councils to be generous with the prices because the general labour bill of the county councils is being aided by the scheme.