Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2006

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Road Network

8:00 pm

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 847: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if funding will be made available for the upgrading of the R178 regional route from Carrickmacross to Dundalk; if the dangerous Essexford Bridge section will be realigned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10179/06]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The improvement of non-national roads in counties Louth and Monaghan is a matter for Louth and Monaghan county councils, respectively, to be funded from their own resources supplemented by grants provided by my Department. Grants totalling €542,938 were paid to Louth County Council from 1999 to 2005 in respect of improvement works on the R178, and in 2006 a grant of €300,000 was allocated to Louth County Council under the strategic non-national roads scheme of grants for improvement works on the R178 at Ballykelly-Essexford — Redbog.

In 2005, my Department sought applications from road authorities for funding under the 2006 EU co-financed specific improvements grant scheme. While Monaghan County Council's application included a request for funding of €200,000 in respect of improvement works to the R178 Carrickmacross-Dundalk road, the council listed the proposal as its lowest priority in a prioritised list of 17 schemes submitted and it was not possible to prioritise the project for funding in 2006. Fourteen of the 17 schemes submitted by the council received an allocation from my Department in 2006. No application for funding has been received in my Department for the Essexford Bridge section of the R178 Carrickmacross-Dundalk road.

My Department will again be seeking applications under the EU co-financed specific improvements grant scheme later this year and it will be open to Monaghan and Louth County Councils to submit applications for consideration for funding under this scheme in 2007.

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