Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

624. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his Department has received an application from the local authority for the construction of a new pedestrian footbridge to span the Clady river at An Bun Beag in County Donegal, adjacent to the R527 road route; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5361/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The improvement and maintenance of regional and local roads in its area is a statutory function of each road authority in accordance with the provisions of section 13 of the Roads Act, 1993.  Works on such roads are a matter for the relevant local authority to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State road grants.  The initial selection and prioritisation of projects to be funded is also a matter for the local authority.

My Department has not received an application from Donegal County Council for funding a pedestrian bridge at Bun Beag.

Donegal did submit an application under the Bridge Rehabilitation Grant Programme for strengthening works at the existing bridge at Bunbeg.  I announced the 2017 regional and local road grant allocations on 24^thJanuary and €15,000 has been allocated for the bridge at Bunbeg.  Given the current spending constraints it is the Department’s policy when grant applications are received from local authorities for bridge improvement works to prioritise rehabilitation works over widening projects and proposed new bridges.