Roads funding going wrong way

County Cork’s road grants allocation for 2024 will be lower than that of 2023, the first drop in funding since 2016.

A report brought before Cork County Council on Monday revealed that Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) maintenance and repairs funding for this year will be €70,199,560, a 1,6% decrease from last year’s €71,340,042.

The report, presented by Cork County Council’s Director of Services, Roads and Transportation, Niall Healy, sparked much frustration amongst both elected members and the council executive.

It follows the publication of figures last month which revealed that Cork county currently receives just over €6k of government funding per kilometre of road making it the third lowest local authority in the nation for road maintenance funding.

Mr Healy said: “We need more money, we want more money, we’re hungry for more funding.

“What we have is a legacy of underinvestment in Cork roads; that’s as clear as could be. It’s been visible to us for a while but the reality now is that we’re in a critical stage and serious and urgent action is required,” he added.

Mr Healy also pointed out that having a good quality national road network is “absolutely essential in terms of the building blocks for economic development for the county”.

“I’m really concerned with the condition of the N25,” said Mr Healy, adding that some of Cork’s regional routes, such as the N71 and the N72 are “no longer in an acceptable condition”.

Fine Gael Cllr Kevin Murphy said it was “abysmal to see” reduced funding allocated to Cork this year, arguing that the funding should have gone up, not down.

“It’s up it should be going by about €20 million for the condition of the roads,” said Cllr Murphy.

As part of his presentation, Mr Healy also confirmed that Cork County Council had sought special funding of €26 million for repairs in the wake of Storm Babet, of which only half has been committed to by the Government.

Greenways

Cllr Kevin Murphy also said he feels it would be appropriate to postpone work on certain greenways in the county and focus the funds on roads instead.

He said: “I’m not opposed to greenways at all, but wouldn’t it be more important for us to postpone some of the greenways and do the road networks which need so badly to be done.

“We are talking about greenways here night and day and some of those could be easily postponed,” added Cllr Murphy.

Independent Cllr Declan Hurley shared Cllr Murphy’s view on greenways, asking what is the point of having state-of-the-art greenways if Cork doesn’t have to roads to bring people to rural areas? However, Independent Cllr Marcia D’Alton said “it’s not meant to be a versus situation” between funding for roads and for active travel infrastructure such as greenways.