Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 June 2023
4. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Transport if he will urgently review the decision by the NTA to remove Ardfinnan Bridge from its 2023 list of projects, particularly given previous commitments from the Government on the matter; the reason the NTA is going against the view of the consultants engaged on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30023/23]
View answerI thank the Minister of State for being in Ardfinnan last week. I want to ask about the situation and the reason the National Transport Authority, NTA, has removed Ardfinnan from the 2023 list, particularly given previous commitments on the matter from the Government, and indeed from the Taoiseach. The NTA receives a lot of funding. To take out this application beggars belief. The bridge has been a one-way system since 2015. The Minister of State has seen it. I will be happy to hear his answer.
This question may have been submitted prior to last week's public meeting at which it was agreed, as we can now confirm, that funding of €280,000 is being provided to Tipperary County Council to allow this project to proceed to the next stage of development, which is known as phase 3 - preliminary design. I know the Deputy will welcome that decision. I thank him and other local public representatives such as Councillor Anglim, Deputy Cahill and others, as well as the local community generally, for their keen interest in this project.
I understand the NTA formally communicated this decision last week. In developing the project further, the council will obviously progress through the process in regard to the overall preliminary design. As we all know, the village of Ardfinnan spans both sides of the River Suir. Ardfinnan Bridge previously consisted of a two-lane vehicular carriageway with no pedestrian facilities connecting either side of the village. In September 2015, it was converted into a one-lane stop-and-go shuttle system for vehicles, operated by a temporary traffic light arrangement, and a 1 m footway delineated by temporary barriers. The Ardfinnan Bridge project was originally set up as a minor footpath scheme in 2021 which would formalise the existing arrangement. However, that scheme was ultimately put on hold and the council asked to undertake an options assessment report to identify and rank options, including a proposal to revert the existing bridge to two-way traffic and construct a new active travel bridge. The council’s report concluded that the preferred option was a proposal to revert to a two-way traffic bridge and construct a new bridge. I am pleased that a solution has been found and the project as developed by the council can proceed to the next stage. We have obviously provided funding to facilitate that. I thank Deputy McGrath and others for their advocacy in getting to this point.
This matter has a long and sad history. I was on the bridge the night of the flood in 2015. It closed because of danger. The bridge was repaired. There have been numerous consultants’ reports dealing with fishing, every kind of aesthetics and architecture. I was under that bridge. It is repaired. There is no understanding of why it has been left as a one-way arrangement for this length of time. Obviously, the director of services, Mr. Marcus O’Connor, wanted to make it a one-way system permanently. The people of Ardfinnan, through the community council - I salute Ms Margaret Egan, the secretary; Councillor Anglim, the chairman; and the previous officers as well - submitted massive numbers of submissions to An Bord Pleanála. Submissions were also made by people from Clogheen, Araglin, Ballyporeen, Grange and everywhere. An Bord Pleanála, in its wisdom, decided that it should not be a one-way system and that there should be two-way traffic. The council has been obstinate and stubborn, however, and has refused to accept what An Bord Pleanála wants. We then did another independent review. Consultants were hired. More money was spent on those. They came up with the option of a stand-alone bridge. That was submitted to the NTA on the encouragement of the Taoiseach. The NTA’s decision and what happened is bewildering. I lay the blame with the county council.
I thank the Deputy. As he has said, there is a long history to this. Having been down there last week - the Deputy was there as well - I understand it is important from a road safety perspective that we see progress on the preliminary design work and hopefully a planning application after it. It is in the interests of providing safe active travel for the community in Ardfinnan that there is an independent bridge, as the Deputy has said. I understand the history and the concerns within the local community and how this been going on for a significant period. Through strong advocacy at the community council, and through Councillor Anglim, Deputy Cahill and Deputy McGrath, we are now at a point from which to make progress on this. We need to see the NTA, with the council, progress the preliminary design and move ahead with the proposal as set out in the recent feasibility study.
I have already asked how much has been spent on consultants for this bridge. It would nearly be enough to build a new bridge. Active travel has done great things in many areas. I disagree with some of the things that have been done. There has been funding everywhere for all kinds of bridges through bogs and across rivers. We have seen that these bridges can be erected so I do not know what the big deal is and why the NTA took this out. Why do we have to go back into the process of design and submission to An Bord Pleanála again? People do not have the faith in An Bord Pleanála that they used to have, as we know, because of recent scandals. Deputy Martin Browne has also advocated strongly on this matter. I can say on behalf of the people that they will not give up. They are very angry and disappointed at the amount of money that has been spent on consultants. When we got an independent report from the consultants, the NTA, on someone’s instructions, decided to dump it out of the programme completely. That is blackguarding of the highest order. Stefan Grace, the wonderful composer, will probably put pen to paper again, and I wish him well on his recent illness. I describe this bridge as a troubled bridge over tranquil waters. That is what it is. It is just downright blackguarding to leave it for that length of time. Now we are looking at a further 15 or 18 months of delay. It is unsafe for children, especially going to school, and for Brett Brothers’ harvest intake as well. It must be done.
We are at a point in progress that was not there two weeks ago, as the Deputy is aware. Thanks to the strong advocacy of all public representatives and the community council, we are now in a position to develop that preliminary design. There has to be a process around design and planning for every aspect of public infrastructure.
I am sure the NTA and the council will be able to provide information on the historical funding for consultants or other structures. The most important thing for the community is that there is progress and an opportunity to develop and progress the independent bridge in the interests of road safety. The sincerity of the position set out by the community council to me, the Deputy and others last week has been heard. It shows the importance of strong advocacy within communities when decisions are being made. I appreciate the Deputy's input and advocacy on this project.
