Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am raising this matter because of the urgency involved. As I said, dedicated locals in Drimoleague have highlighted the issues and now the council and the Department of Transport need to act to prevent injuries or fatalities and improve the quality of life in the village.

I thank the Minister of State for recommending the safety improvement scheme. I know Cork County Council has applied for other funding streams but we will ask the school to submit an application under that scheme. However, the larger problem is the manner in which important safety issues like this are resolved. Communities are directed towards particular schemes all the time rather than being assured of very basic infrastructure. Good quality footpaths and roads should be the minimum communities can expect. Residents and businesses pay their taxes, including property tax, specifically for these services. Too often, communities essentially need to compete for funding and apply to all these different schemes. The Minister of State mentioned six such schemes. When funding is awarded under a scheme every Deputy and Senator tries to claim credit for securing it.

Last year, I raised the issue of vehicles speeding through Kealkill village, which has no road markings or crossings for schoolchildren. It is only thanks to a particular scheme that those problems will now be addressed. Relying on communities to lobby for funding from these schemes is not a sustainable way to ensure road safety or equal opportunities for villages to access funding. These are bare minimum and basic safety measures.

The role of the Department of Transport is key here, as it sets the standards. There must also be more effective enforcement processes. Ultimately, people pay their property tax and expect the bare minimum. The Minister of State referred to funding that Drimoleague has secured. That was for a tiny extension of a footpath, which is not something we should have great fanfare about. The community deserves so much more than that, as do all communities.

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