Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 February 2005
136 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the mechanism available to a local community severely inconvenienced due to the condition of a damaged bridge in its area, as stated in correspondence (details supplied), and the lack of progress on reports from Waterways Ireland in relation to the matter to overcome its problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3272/05]
View answerThe matter raised by the Deputy is the responsibility of Waterways Ireland, one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999. The body has responsibility for the management, maintenance and development of inland waterways, principally for recreational purposes.
The bridge mentioned was originally built in the 19th century to carry road traffic of that time and has a load carrying capacity well below the loadings being imposed today. As a result, the bridge has become structurally distressed and had to be closed for reasons of public safety.
Waterways Ireland is in ongoing discussions with the local authority to agree aspects of the repair and upgrade of this bridge to ensure that the needs of modern day vehicular traffic are met. The question of using the towpath on the opposite bank of the canal as an alternative route has been raised, but is not feasible due to the threat to the structural integrity of the canal bank.
