Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021
239. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the funding available to Kildare County Council to assist it in building a second bridge over the river Liffey at Newbridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36267/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe primary focus of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) is on supporting projects that will contribute to compact growth and that will improve the liveability of our cities and towns.
Call 2 of the URDF was launched in 2020. To assist local authorities with the application process, my Department hosted a number of workshops to provide information on the purpose of the URDF programme and the types of proposals that would be considered for support. In all 75 proposals were considered, with every local authority submitting at least one application and competing demands with a total combined value exceeding €2 billion. All applications were assessed in terms of their alignment with the intended purpose of the URDF programme and also their viability before being considered for approval.
Kildare County Council submitted four applications under Call 2, three of which were successful, attracting a combined total €15,642,624 in URDF support. This Call 2 URDF funding is in addition to €5,532,243 already approved for four projects under Call 1 bringing total URDF support for projects in Kildare County Council area to €21,174,867 over both URDF calls.
Kildare County Council’s fourth proposal in respect of a second bridge over the River Liffey at Newbridge was one of thirty unsuccessful proposals which did not adequately meet the criteria for URDF support under Call 2.
A copy of the detailed assessment of this proposal has been provided to Kildare County Council, and a feedback meeting on the matter has recently taken place between officials of the Council and officials of my Department.
Any plans for the further advancement of this proposal is a matter for Kildare County Council.
