Cork council to consider taking out €10m loan to fund footpath repairs

Cork City Council paid out nearly €5m in compensation claims for trips and falls on footpaths between 2019 and 2023, councillors told

'Everyone is getting it on the doors. This council should acknowledge we have a problem with footpath renewal.' File picture: David Keane

Cork city officials have agreed to explore drawing down a multi-million loan to fund a massive footpath repair blitz.

But they said they would find a way to service the loan first before it would ever be approved by the Department of Local Government.

“Currently, in the 2024 budget, we do not have the capacity to take out a loan for footpaths because we don't have a dedicated income stream to service that loan,” the city’s head of finance, John Hallahan, told city councillors.

“If we are to take out a loan for the 2025 budget, we will have to look at our existing services to see where we might be able to get money to service the loan.

“We certainly will look at it for the 2025 budget because I think it’s an important issue for members.” 

He made his comments during a lengthy discussion on a motion from Fianna Fáil councillor Seán Martin, who said the council should take out a €10m loan to fund footpath renewals across the city.

“Everyone is getting it on the doors. This council should acknowledge we have a problem with footpath renewal,” he said.

It should be modelled on an €11m loan the council drew down in 2018 to fund housing repairs, which was serviced by rental income, he said. It would ultimately be self-financing by helping to curtail compensation claims for falls, he added.

He also called for a broadening of active travel budgetary policy, which funds the construction of new footpaths only but not the repair of existing paths.

“If I walk into town from the Cross Douglas Road, I’m engaged in active travel. This is a shortcoming in the active travel budget policy which omits the repair of existing footpaths,” he said.

There was cross-party support for his proposal, with Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill suggesting if the council applied for a loan, it should ask the department to provide matching funding.

Green Party councillor Dan Boyle also called for a national review of active travel funding policy to include the repair and renewal of existing footpaths.

Workers Party councillor Ted Tynan said tragedy was averted in his area recently when faulty brickwork at a pedestrian crossing caused two wheelchair users to tumble out of their chairs as a bus was approaching.

Green Party councillor Oliver Moran said councillors allocated about €2m annually for estate roads resurfacing, but just €200,000 for footpath repairs.

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“In return what do we see? Between 2019 to 2023 we had nearly €5m in compensation claims for trips and falls on footpaths, and €1m in compensation claims for burst vehicle tyres from potholes. That’s the return on that investment,” he said.