Councillors angered over Government refusal to fund greenway maintenance

Decision for cash-strapped Cork municipal districts to cover costs described as 'appalling' 

Angered Cork councillors plan to write to transport minister Darragh O'Brien again to urge for funding, after his secretary claimed the matter 'will be considered in 2027'. Picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The Government is refusing to provide funding this year for maintaining greenways and active travel routes to eight cash-strapped Cork municipal district councils.

This has sparked a call to the local authority to suspend clean-up works on them.

As more and more of the facilities are being built in the county, municipal districts are having to divert a significant amount of money from other resources to maintain them.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) provide the cost for their construction and for a small period of maintenance after they are completed. However, after that, the burden falls on the municipal districts.

On foot of this, the council wrote to transport minister Darragh O’Brien asking him to provide the money on an annual basis for maintenance.

The reply from Mr O’Brien’s private secretary Amanda Corley angered several councillors from across parties.

She wrote that “the matter will be considered by department officials in the context of money available [to them] in 2027”.

She added that “the minister appreciates and agrees that the maintenance of walking and cycling routes is an important matter”.

The issue was first highlighted by Carrigaline-based Fine Gael councillor Una McCarthy, who was not happy with the reply.

Cobh-based Independent councillor Ger Curley added: “I suggest if we’re not getting funding we should suspend maintenance on all of them.”

The Cobh municipal district has the biggest section of such facilities in the county at present.

Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry, also from that district, said he can’t understand how the Government does not understand the “huge drain” on municipal resources trying to maintain them.

Kinsale-based Independent councillor Alan Coleman said he was not holding out much hope, as TII isn’t providing enough maintenance funding for national secondary roads in the county.

He described it as “appalling” that the Government expects the council to pay.

“We just can’t expect them to mind themselves,” Mr Coleman said.

“There has to be an effective funding stream.”

Sinead Sheppard, another Fine Gael councillor based in Cobh, said the maintenance of the cycleway in Glounthaune is a major concern for locals.

She said: “It’s getting completely overgrown and it’s not fair on the residents who have to look at it on a daily basis.

“Our [council] offices don’t have the budget. We want to put greenways everywhere but don’t have the funding for their upkeep.”

Midleton-based Fine Gael councillor Rory Cocking said it’s nice to see flowers and shrubbery planted along such routes, but they become overgrown in a matter of months.

On Ms McCarthy’s recommendation, the council is to write to Mr O’Brien again urging him to make a funding decision this year.