asked the Minister for the Environment if he will allocate extra funds in 1983 to Donegal County Council to ensure that some improvement will be made in the area of housing, roads and sanitary services.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Services.
11.
The allocation of funds in 1983 for housing, roads and sanitary services will be made as soon as possible in the light of the provisions made for the various services in the public capital programme and the Department's Vote and with due regard to all relevant factors.
Will the Minister take into consideration the serious housing position facing the local authority in Donegal, plus the deplorable state of the roads which will have a very serious effect on our tourist industry? Will he take those two factors into consideration and ensure that sufficient moneys are provided to bring the roads up to a reasonable standard and to make some impression on the chronic housing situation facing the local authorities in Donegal?
I will take into consideration all the factors to which the Deputy referred.
When the Minister says the allocations will be announced fairly soon, does that mean days, weeks or months?
I envisage that it will be weeks. Local authorities want to know as soon as possible so that they can start setting their own priorities within their own budgets. It is our intention to make the final decision as soon as possible. In this instance that will be weeks.
Within the next two weeks?
I could not say, but there will be no undue delay.
When the decision is being made on these allocations, will the global sum available for distribution include the £65 million which the Minister for Finance said was to be raised by the local authorities through special charges yet to be announced?
That is a separate question.
No final decision has been made on that. As soon as I have the information I will give it to the Deputy.
A final supplementary.
I should like to bring to the Minister's attention the fact that in the 1982 allocation we got virtually no compensation for the damage done by the very severe winter of 1981-82. Therefore, the local authorities have had difficulties in the provision of maintenance money for the roads. I ask the Minister to take that factor into consideration this year when he is considering the road allocations. Because of the shortfall in the moneys provided to deal with the situation in 1982 due to the severe weather we had, we still need money to at least put us on a par with the rest of the country.
I will take that factor into consideration.