Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a letter here from Margaret Egan of Ardfinnan community council. It concerns a troubled bridge over tranquil waters in the village of Ardfinnan. The Tánaiste came to see it two years ago and gave great hope. The county council appointed Roughan and O'Donovan consultants to do an appraisal of it. They suggested a new separate freestanding walkway for the safety of pedestrians. This was the safest option. The Tánaiste told them - I was there listening to him - that they should get funding under the active travel fund. He had a lot of pomp about it and a ceremony with aplomb. However, now the National Transport Authority, NTA, has rejected the proposal, which was paid for by taxpayers' money. The amount of money spent on consultants' reports would nearly build a bridge at this stage and here we are now with a negative. It has been removed from the 2023 roads programme with the NTA. It has just abolished it and we are left still with a one-way system, which is unsafe, with dangerous temporary lights. The Tánaiste saw it himself. I am appealing for sanity here. An independent report was commissioned and a safe bridge was suggested, but the NTA has removed it from its consideration.

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