Fingal council only spent 62% of walking and cycling funds last year

Only 62 percent of funds made available for walking and cycling infrastructure in Fingal last year was spent by the local council, according to recently released figures by the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Overall, Fingal County Council was allocated €14,870,000 to develop cycling and walking infrastructure but only €9,078,639 was spent in 2021.

Green Party TD and Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development Joe O’Brien said the figures show that “we need to do better for our community.”

“It is understandable that the significant increase in funding since 2019 requires increased capacity, and there have been many additional challenges for our local authority during Covid,” he says.

“However, funding has also been provided for a new Travel Officer role, dedicated to local walking and cycling projects and we now need to start seeing faster progress.

“As a result of decades prioritising cars in Ireland, many people in both rural and urban areas feel they have no option but to drive, even for short journeys.

“Since being in Government, the Green Party has been addressing this by delivering record increases in investment in walking and cycling projects, jumping from €45m in 2019 to €289m nationally in 2022.

“These projects include new and improved pathways, cycleways, safe routes to schools and lighting,” he says.

Additional funding has been made available to Fingal County Council for 2022 and Minister O’Brien says these funds must be used appropriately.

“There is €25,535,000 allocated for Fingal in 2022.

“The money and the skills are there, now we need action.

“I’m asking the public to call on your local councillors, across every party, to help create a safer and more liveable community. It’s time to put people first.”

Howth-Malahide councillor David Healy says in-progress and recently completed projects would benefit from proper infrastructure investment, as seen in Kinsealy near Portmarnock.

“Our top priority should be safety for children, yet the walking route from both newly-built and long-established houses to the two primary schools in Kinsealy is through a junction which Fingal County Council considers so unsafe that they won’t put a member of their staff on duty there as a school warden,” Healy says.

In June, Fingal County Council announced works were underway in Swords at St. Cronan’s Road and Brackenstown Avenue to develop upgraded and protected cycle lanes.

These works include upgrading of the existing walking and cycling infrastructure in the area to improve safety, reduce traffic speed and create better connections to local schools and to Swords Manor Football Club.

The works also include realignment and upgrading of junctions, road surface improvements, traffic calming, improvement of crossing points, segregation of cycle lanes using bollards and providing safer routes to school for St. Cronan’s National School.