‘Funding uncertainty’ stalls critical N73 works

Improvements to the N73 at Shanballymore between Clogher Cross and Waterdyke, is stalled due to ‘funding uncertainty’. The announcement was made at Monday’s Northern Committee meeting, and met with widespread condemnation from public representatives.

In 2020 the stretch of road between Mallow and Mitchelstown was the site of a large-scale protest from local people and hauliers.

Last week, TheAvondhu reported that Labour TD Seán Sherlock was “fearful” that budget process might see the project lose funding. This week, those fears were realised as Cork County Council confirmed that, although the project is ready to go to tender, the TII have refused permission to move to the next step.

Padraig Barrett, Director Of Services with Roads & Transportation in Cork County Council, explained to public representatives that Cork County Council has an allocation of €1.5 million for the project, which accounts for about 20% of the funds - the remaining 80% is to be supplied by the TII.

“The TII are concerned they might not have that money next year, and they won’t know that until after the budget is done. We hope that we are updated as their funding situation crystallises, but at the moment, that decision is concerning, “he stated, adding that TII have undertaken to keep this position under review and will advise when it will be in a position to provide funding.

The announcement was published in Cork County Council’s Road Services Report for the third quarter of 2021. Cllr Frank O’Flynn separately raised the issue in Monday’s meeting in a notice of motion, requesting an update on the road improvements. He was one of several councillors who expressed extreme surprise and annoyance at the announcement.

Cllr O’Flynn: “My worst fears are being realised. This report is an absolute disgrace; it’s damning. Where’s all the reports we got in May and July, telling us that they’d start in October? Who are they codding? There seems to be money for all the other big projects, but not here in North Cork. We will not accept this report, we will not take this lying down.”

Cllr O’Flynn proposed that a letter be writen to relevant ministers, and that a deputation on the matter be assembled. These sentiments were echoed by all the councillors from the Fermoy Municipal District, as well as further afield. Cllr Deirdre O’Brien however, stated that she was “surprised that Cllr O’Flynn is surprised.”

Directing her statement at Cllr O’Flynn, Cllr O’Brien stated: “You were in the company of the government spokesperson for transport on Friday afternoon, and I would have thought it would be you updating this meeting this morning.” Cllr O’Flynn responded that the minister he met on Friday was for Agriculture, not Roads, and that “If I was TD, this would have been done already.”

Other councillors expressed their dismay at reassuring locals that the project was imminent, while now having to backtrack on their word. Cllr Kay Dawson, who seconded the motion for a deputation, queried “What are we waiting for? Someone to die on it? This is just not good enough.”

At Monday’s meeting, Cllr William O’Leary criticised those who “politicised the issue”.

“It’s unfair - I’ve seen comments that people should hit the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael councillors and lobby them hard. What do people think we’re at? Nothing? I find that very disingenuous. It’s not acceptable. This is something, as a committee, that we have to drive. This issue has been going on for 20 years, and not one linear metre of that road has changed.”

Mr Barrett said that the frustration shown by the members was shared by Cork County Council staff, “because we had this project ready to go, and we were looking forward to its construction.”

The meeting ended with a decision from councillors to write a letter to the Ministers for Transport and Public Expenditure on the matter, to the Taoiseach and the TII, and to request a deputation to meet with the TII.

Deputy Seán Sherlock maintained that, while unwelcome, the news was to be expected. “This is not news. We knew a letter of this nature from Transport Infrastructure Ireland was likely.”

He continued: “We’ve been warning about it for the last week. Rather than licking our wounds about this, we now need Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors to bend the ears of their senior colleagues in Cabinet.

“We’ve had Ministers Darragh O’Brien and Jack Chambers, and even the Taoiseach, in North Cork in recent months. That was the time to lobby for the N73. The public are sick of photo ops. We now have less than three weeks to save the N73 and ensure it gets funded in the Budget. I will continue to lobby Government and officials on the desperate state of the road and the need to fund this stretch. I am hopeful that councillors and TDs will do likewise.”