asked the Minister for the Environment in view of his request to Laois County Council to provide for the full time employment of road workers in 1986, the additional funding he will make available for this purpose.
Written Answers. - Road Grants.
26.
On 28 January 1986 road grant allocations for 1986 totalling £159.7 million were notified to local authorities generally. This represents an increase of 4 per cent relative to the record 1985 level of grants. Paragraph 8 of the general memorandum accompanying the grant notifications indicated that "Local authorities should try to maintain the level of employment of regular road workers and to avoid major fluctuations in the numbers employed throughout the year as far as possible".
The grant allocation to Laois County Council this year is £2,100,000 as compared with an initial allocation of £2,165,000 last year. Figures are not at present available in my Department as to estimated road expenditure by the local authority from its own resources in 1986.
It is not possible at this stage to allocate any additional road grants to any local authority because the funds available in 1986 have been fully allocated. My Department is monitoring progress on grant aided works during 1986. If it should appear later this year that the grant allocated to a local authority will not be required in full in 1986, the authority will be consulted and any possible savings will be re-allocated to other authorities which require the additional funds and can spend the money involved this year.
Question No. 27 postponed.