Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2017
587. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has received correspondence from the relevant local authority regarding the funding of a planned pedestrian foot-bridge adjacent to the R257 route spanning the Clady river at An Bun Beag in County Donegal; if so, the progress that has been made to deliver this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39111/17]
View answerAs I explained to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question No. 624 of 7 February 2017, the improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in a given area is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993. Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
My Department has not received an application from Donegal County Council for funding a pedestrian bridge at Bun Beag.
Donegal did submit an application under the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant Programme for strengthening works at the existing bridge at Bunbeg. I announced the 2017 regional and local road grant allocations on 24 January and €15,000 has been allocated for the bridge at Bunbeg. Given the current spending constraints it is the Department’s policy when grant applications are received from local authorities for bridge improvement works to prioritise rehabilitation works over widening projects and proposed new bridges.
