Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans in place to widen the four bridges on the main Milford and Carrigart road R247 (details supplied); and the timeframes which are in place for the work to be carried out. [12611/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the question refers to the R245, the Milford to Carrigart road. The provision and improvement of non-national roads in County Donegal is a matter for Donegal County Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State grants provided by my Department.

In August last year, my Department sought applications from road authorities for funding under the 2006 EU co-financed specific improvements grant scheme. The initial selection of projects to be submitted for consideration for funding under this scheme is a matter for road authorities. Donegal County Council submitted a number of applications but these did not include applications for works on the bridges on the R245 Milford to Carrigart road referred to in the question. My Department will again be seeking applications under the EU co-financed specific improvements grant scheme later this year and it will, of course, be open to the council to submit applications for consideration for funding under this scheme in 2007.

Local authorities may also use their discretionary improvement grant allocations from my Department to fund eligible road and bridge improvement schemes. The 2006 discretionary improvement grant allocation to Donegal County Council is €1,642,000, which is an increase of 7% on the initial 2005 discretionary improvement grant allocation to the council. The selection of works to be funded from this allocation is entirely a matter for the council.