Laois councillor claims €300,000 allocation unspent after three years

A councillor has claimed old people are being put in danger despite €300,000 being available to carry out footpath works for the past three years. 

Cllr Paschal McEvoy raised the issue of the proposed footpath at the graveyard in Stradbally at the latest meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.  

“I am nearly at a stage now where I might explode in relation to the footpath up to the graveyard. I am not going to say a whole lot about it today but this is three years this February, there is €300,000 in a bank account waiting to be spent on that footpath,” said Cllr  McEvoy.

 “Three or four dates were given last year and it hasn’t been done. I am told a tender is out for it now but it’s not very fair. I am being asked the question. Papers printed as per what was said here at meetings, it was to be finished early last year,” said Cllr McEvoy.  

“It went in with the tenders for the one in Mountmellick out to The Rock School and with the one in Ballyroan out to the GAA Pitch and the Stradbally one were tendered for at the one time. They are finished for the last two years. I just can’t, I really can’t hack it at this stage,” said Cllr McEvoy. 

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“As I say, I am ready to explode. If someone doesn’t tell me the truth as to what is going on.

€300,000 was allocated to that project three years ago and nothing done. It’s not fair, you have old people walking up to that graveyard taking their lives in their hands and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. I am being fobbed off. I am just not happy about it,” said Cllr McEvoy.  

“If there was €300,000 allocated to it where is the €300,000,” Cllr Aishlng Moran asked.    “It’s still there,” Cllr McEvoy replied.