Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 448: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when funding will be sanctioned for the €1.648 million package of works required on the Dooncarton Mountain, Glengad, Pullathomas, north Mayo to provide kinetic barriers, drainage and other works required to protect the livelihoods of the residents in the area. [7837/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In October 2004, Mayo County Council submitted to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Office of Public Works and my Department, a report by an implementation working group, identifying outstanding protective works needed at this site with an estimated cost of €1.685 million. My Department's primary concern with works at this site was with public roads and bridges and the provision of emergency accommodation. The total cost of repair works to public roads and bridges, which came to €1,662,382, has now been fully recouped to Mayo County Council and my Department has no further commitment in this regard. My Department has also provided assistance of €36,181 towards the cost of emergency accommodation. No funds are available to my Department from which other grants could be made to Mayo County Council for this site.

Since the establishment of the local government fund in 1999, record levels of funding have been channelled through the local government system to improve the quality and range of services provided to local communities. The general purpose allocation for Mayo County Council for its day-to-day operational costs in 2004 was €29.75 million, an increase of 17.5% over the corresponding allocation for 2003 and a significant 152% higher than 1997's allocation. The allocation for 2005 is €32.39 million, a further 8.9% increase over the 2004 allocation. The level of increase provided for Mayo County Council in 2005 is higher than the average increase provided to local authorities and is more than double the rate of inflation.