Sudden removal of Waterford pavement upgrade funds is 'embarrassing'
The removal of funds was described as "unprecedented" and "embarrassing" at a meeting of local councillors this week.
Pavement upgrade works in Lismore and at Carroll's Cross on the N25 have been halted due to funding cuts. The removal of funds was described as "unprecedented" and "embarrassing" at a meeting of local councillors this week.
It is understood that plans were at an advanced stage and a contractor for the Lismore project was just days away from being appointed prior to the removal of funds.
Gabriel Hynes, Senior Engineer with Waterford City and County Council, has clarified that the funds were unexpectedly redistributed across the country by Transport Infrastructure Ireland.
“The TII allocation in February allocated a million euro for pavement works, which included surfacing from Carroll’s Cross back to Ballyduff. We were advised in May that there was a redistribution of resources within TII and that the funding we were allocated was redistributed to other counties in the country.
He added, “There wasn’t a reduction in funding across the country, it was just redistributed. It wasn’t just Waterford that lost the pavement funding, it was across nearly all the local authorities that the funding was redistributed.
“It is unprecedented, but we did have designs in place and in relation to Lismore we had gone to a contractor. This is the first time this has happened in my time as Roads Engineer.”
Waterford councillors spoke about the removal of the funds, with Cllr John O’Leary commenting: “Government provided money for this, the problem is that TII decided to reallocate.
"We’ve seen a substantial amount of money taken out of this county, both in the road from Carroll’s Cross to Kilmeaden and indeed roads in Lismore. It is an unsatisfactory situation.
“Government provided the money to TII, they then decided to do a U-turn and it’s quite embarrassing for local representatives to see this in the media and see announcements that the roadworks will be done, and then all of a sudden it gets reallocated. “
Cllr Liam Brazil suggested sending a Waterford delegation to Dublin in order to discuss the matter with TII.
“I’m disappointed to see that TII have taken funding from the N25 because this road was badly in need of doing. If this is not done this year it will affect us going forward.
“We used to always get the chance to go to Dublin to meet TII, can we get that meeting to ask why that money was taken from the N25 and why taken from Lismore? It’s disappointing to hear.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Catherine Burke pleaded that the Comeragh District Council “do everything in its remit to have this funding reallocated" to Waterford.
Mr Hynes said that a meeting could be arranged with TII.
