Thomas Gould
Question:151. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Transport the amount of funding drawn down by Cork City Council in 2023 for footpath repair. [46147/23]
View answerTuesday, 24 October 2023
Questions (151)
Written answers
As Minister for Transport, I am responsible for the overall policy and funding of Active Travel infrastructure. The allocation of this funding to the various local authorities falls to the National Transport Authority (NTA) who are responsible for overseeing the delivery of both new projects and upgrading of existing infrastructure.
Investment in Active Travel infrastructure, including footpaths, has increased significantly in recent years, with around €290 million allocated to the NTA for such projects this year alone. While restoration and maintenance is carried out as part of the overall Active Travel budget, there is no specific funding for footpath repair.
Separately, while my Department provides grant support for road maintenance and renewal programmes under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme it does not have a specific grant programme for the restoration and repair of footpaths; however, local authorities have the option to fund these types of works from certain grant programmes.
In light of the above, Cork City Council are best placed to provide the Deputy with the amount of funding which they have drawn down in 2023 for footpath repair.