Allocation of National Transport Authority funding in Limerick 'doesn't add up' claims councillor

THE city metropolitan districts receiving €14m while the county municipal districts get €3m from the same tranche of funding has been raised by Cllr Mike Donegan.

He was speaking at a Cappamore-Kilmallock Municipal meeting about the €17m in funding to Limerick for walking and cycling projects for 2021 from the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Brendan Kidney, senior executive engineer for Cappamore-Kilmallock, said they received just over €1m. He said €700,000 was ear-marked for Caherconlish – a footpath to the GAA pitch of around 400 metres in length which will cost around €400,000 and €300,000 for a loop walk. 

“We got €160,00 for Kilmallock to bring a loop walk out the Bruree road, out past the industrial park, out to the next junction and then back by ball alley hill as it is known locally. There is historic remains there – they think the first settlement in Kilmallock was on the top of that hill,” said Mr Kidney. The fourth project is €85,000 for footpath improvement works in Kilfinane.

Cllr Donegan welcomed these projects. However, he said: “Limerick received €17.3m. We and the other municipal districts received approximately €1m each. What was the scoring system or was there a scoring system in relation to the matter?

Cllr Donegan also asked, “Why was it divvied up €14m for the city and a million each for the three municipal district in the county.” The councillor also enquired if the Cappamore-Kilmallock district had a number of projects submitted for the NTA funding.

In reply, Mr Kidney said he was not aware of a scoring system.

“We have applied for approximately 22 different schemes around the area. We got funding for four of them but that doesn’t mean the schemes won’t happen,” said Mr Kidney. Of the €17m announced, he said €7m or €8m of that was announced last year and was “put on the list again”.