Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, who answered an oral question on 22 March on the same issue. I am happy to restate the position.

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, including bridges, in Donegal and other counties are the statutory responsibility of the local authority, in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act 1993.Works on those roads are funded from the council's own resources supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority. Department officials and the Minister, Deputy Ross, met with a delegation from Donegal County Council on 27 February 2017 to discuss Fintra Bridge and Tyrconnell Bridge in Donegal.

Fintra Bridge is located on the R263 between Killybegs and Kilcar. It is understood from Donegal County Council that the issue with this bridge is alignment related. It is structurally sound but is restrictive in width and is located on a bend. Part 8 planning approval is in place for a new bridge and associated realignment of approaches and the cost of this is likely to be in the region of €1.5 million. Given the challenging financial climate, the specific improvement grants scheme, under which this scheme would previously have been considered, has been curtailed in recent years in order to maximise the funding available for repair and strengthening work.

Tyrconnell Bridge is a four span steel bridge supported by cut stone piers spanning 29 m across the Eske River at Tyrconnell Street, Donegal town. A number of structural reports were carried out on the bridge in 2000, 2008 and 2012. A study in 2013 concluded that the bridge will continue to deteriorate and will result in the closure of the bridge in the coming years. The council reported that a full-deck replacement is needed. On 12 October 2016, Donegal County Council submitted its application to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for the 2017 bridge rehabilitation programme. Tyrconnell Bridge was not among the bridges prioritised for funding in the 2017 application. No application in respect of this bridge was received by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for either 2016 or for 2015. Following the meeting with the council, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport is awaiting further information from Donegal County Council in respect of both Tyrconnell and Fintra Bridges. The Minister, Deputy Ross, will fully review the position in respect of both of the bridges when that information is received.