Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
854 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Transport his plans to upgrade the bridge over the Tramore River on the Kinsale Road in Cork; the cost of such a project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32088/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra855 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Transport if money has, in the past, been allocated to a project to upgrade the bridge over the Tramore River on the Kinsale Road in Cork only to be later withdrawn; if this happened on more than one occasion; the amounts involved and the dates on which this occurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32089/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra856 Deputy Deirdre Clune asked the Minister for Transport the amount that has been spent since 2000 in maintaining the bridge over the Tramore River on the Kinsale Road in Cork; the amount it would have cost to upgrade this bridge when such an upgrade was first planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32090/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 854 to 856, inclusive. together.
The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, including bridges, is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads and bridges are funded from local authorities own resources and are supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
I understand that the estimated cost to replace the bridge over the Tramore River on the Kinsale Road is approximately €1.1 million. Cork County Council has been provided with a total of €120,672 for this project between 2007 and 2009. The Council was allocated €950,000 in February 2009 for this project, but this allocation was subsequently reduced following the Supplementary Budget on 7th April 2009. No funding was sought by the Council for this project in 2010.
It is open to Cork County Council to prioritise this project for funding and to include it among its applications for funding in 2011 under the Specific Improvement Grants Scheme, when those applications are submitted in due course to the National Roads Authority.
