Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress to date in the provision of funding by his Department for the Drogheda Northern Cross Route; if requests for funding were received from Louth local authorities, Drogheda Port Company and any other body or organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21747/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The provision and improvement of non-national roads in County Louth is a matter for Louth County Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State grants provided by my Department. In March 2005, Louth County Council submitted an outline proposal to my Department in relation to a Drogheda Northern Cross Port Access Route. That document identified a number of possible sources of funding but provided no details. The Council was asked in May 2005 to submit an indicative breakdown of the likely funding from the different sources and that information is awaited in my Department.

In August 2005, 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. Louth County Council submitted a number of applications but these did not include an application for funding for the Drogheda Northern Cross Port Access Route. 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 Louth County Council to submit an application for consideration for funding under this scheme in 2007.