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

These are not private roads that have been taken in charge, but public roads. If the Minister tried to close one of them, he would quickly find out that they were not private roads. In many cases, one travels down a public road that has been taken in charge only for the tar to end because the rest of that public road has not been taken in charge. Let us be clear about it. Departmental officials saying that these are the private roads of landholders is typical of how they treat rural people. Many of these roads were tarred and should have been taken in charge at that stage but were not.

The Minister with responsibility for rural development is sitting on a pot of gold. He has so much money that he cannot spend it this year. Can the Minister who is present, Deputy Ross, come up with €5 million between now and the end of the year to match €5 million from his colleague and get some of these roads done quickly instead of just talking about them? I am delighted that an enterprising and active Deputy is the Minister for rural development.

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