Written answers
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
Road Network
9:00 pm
Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 568: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the funding that has been provided to replace the Tramore bridge, Kinsale Road, Cork; when the works will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37495/11]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads, including bridges, is the statutory responsibility of each local authority, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the Roads Act 1993. Works on those roads and bridges are funded from local authorities own resources and are supplemented by State road grants. The initial selection and prioritisation of works to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.
I understand that the estimated cost to replace the bridge over the Tramore River on the Kinsale Road is approximately €1.1 million. Cork County Council has been provided with a total of €160,955 for this project between 2007 and 2010. The Council was allocated a grant of €837,000 for this project at the beginning of 2011. I understand that most of the monies allocated for this project in 2011 will not be drawn down due to a delay in the project proceeding. I am not in a position to say when the cause of the delay will be resolved by Cork County Council.
Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 569: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify the position regarding the Slane bypass in view of the fact it is not in the capital infrastructure budget plan and it appears that there is no funding for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36975/11]
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads, is a matter for the National Roads Authority under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2007 in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Noting this I have referred the Deputy's question to the NRA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you don't receive a reply within 10 working days.
Mr Apolitical
Posted on 28 Jul 2012 12:20 am (Report this comment)
The written replies to Parliamentary Questions that the Department of Transport are supplying to Minister Varadkar and the replies that he is consistently accepting as sufficient are an embarrassment to both parties and an insult to the intelligence of the electorate. Minister Varadkar and his Department make little or no effort whatsoever to actually answer PQ's. In this instance the question clearly relates to road funding and the Minister acknowledges he is responsible for this yet he does not answer the question. Yet again and as the record here on KildareStreet has consistently shown, more often then not the question is almost by default referred to an executive agency so that the Minister and the Department cannot be held accountable as the answer is kept out of the official Oireachtas report. This truly is a pitiful state of affairs. The transport agencies should be answering directly to Minister Varadkar and the Minister should actually be answering the PQ's put to him by Deputies and the public should be able to read his written answers here online. The current situation is just suppression and an affront to democracy. These agencies spend my taxes that I work hard to pay and I expect some political accountability. If you are a TD and you are reading this its time to do something about it.