Tony Gregory
Ceist:243 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if the recently announced funding for road improvements include the Chapelizod area of Dublin 20. [4846/98]
Written Answers - Roads Funding.
I have recently allocated some £3,574,000 in 1998 discretionary block grant to Dublin Corporation for nonnational roads, an increase of 9.5 per cent on the corresponding figure for 1997. The prioritisation and selection of the road works projects to be assisted from the discretionary block grant is a matter for the corporation.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:244 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if funds voted for his Department are allocated directly to the National Roads Authority to be spent at the discretion of the Authority without regard for any responsibility to the Houses of the Oireachtas in these instances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4868/98]
The policy framework for the improvement of national roads is set out in the Operational Programme for Transport 1994-99, in particular chapter 3, a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library. Within this framework, it is a matter for the National Roads Authority to prioritise and schedule individual road improvement projcts and to progress them in co-operation with local authorities; the authority is also responsible for the planning and supervision of maintenance works on national roads. Exchequer block grants are provided by my Department to the authority for allocation by it to individual projects.
Under the provisions of the Roads Act, 1993, the authority is required to prepare an annual report on the performance of its functions under the Act and the accounts of the authority are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The annual report, the accounts, and the auditor's report on the accounts are laid before each House of the Oireachtas.