Buncrana Cllr Ciaran McLaughlin has said Transport Minister, Leo Varadkar has further questions to answer on Cockhill Bridge after the Minister claimed Donegal County Council had not applied for funding for a new bridge since 2010.
Cllr Ciaran McLaughlin
In an email received from senior officials in Donegal County Council, Cllr McLaughlin has been advised the council has submitted the Cockhill Bridge Replacement Project as a “shovel ready” project, for funding by Government, on three occasions in 2013 and on one further occasion in 2014.
Cllr McLaughlin said “In a recent response by Minister Varadkar to a parliamentary question put to him by my colleague, Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, the Minister stated that Donegal County Council had not applied for funding for a new bridge since 2010.
“Donegal County Council have now advised me that they have submitted the Cockhill Bridge Replacement Project as a “shovel ready” project, for funding by Government, on three occasions in 2013 and on one further occasion in 2014.”
Further, the project currently has secured planning permission in November 2013 and the Section 50 Agreement is now in place.
Cllr Ciaran McLaughlin has now asked Deputy Mac Lochlainn to submit further parliamentary questions to the Minister seeking clarification on the apparent confusion.
“Indeed, the Minister may need to correct the Dáil record.
“More serious is the scandalous failure by various Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael led Governments to fund a new bridge over the years.”
Cllr Ciaran McLaughlin added that his understanding is that monies were set aside for a footbridge at Cockhill Bridge from specific development charges applied to the developer of the Dún na nIarlaí/ Earlsfort estate at Clonbeg many years ago.
“How much of this money is left?
“What baffles and angers local residents that I have canvassed over the last few weeks is that there is no footbridge, no safe crossing and no adequate facilities for families to safely cross the bridge after all this time.
“This should have been sorted out a long time ago. Frankly, I think it’s a total disgrace and an absolute scandal that money was put aside for a footbridge which was then apparently spent on design and planning for a new bridge with no delivery by this Fine Gael and Labour Government whose parties hold the majority in the Inishowen Electoral Area of Donegal County Council.”
The Buncrana Town councillor has now submitted a motion to next weeks Buncrana Town Council meeting.
The motion calls on Donegal County Council to immediately make provision for a footbridge at Cockhill Bridge similar to those constructed in Clonmany and Newtoncunningham.
And Cllr McLaughlin also revealed “I met with the committee from Clonmany who delivered the footbridge there, last week. They are a terrific example of how to get a job done and I couldn’t praise them highly enough. We now need the same “can do” approach from Donegal County Council for Cockhill”.
Tags:
