COUNTY mayor Cllr Joe Carroll (FF) is calling for a new approach in dealing with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in order to secure vital funding for the N71, stressing that roads should get funding priority over greenways.
The Skibbereen-based councillor made the call at a meeting of the West Cork Municipal District where councillors expressed their concern at some stretches of West Cork’s national secondary road.
‘Is there any other line of attack we can use with TII as we’ve been talking about this for years?’ he asked.
‘Cars are being rattled along the N71 and it’s a disgrace. The priority should be roads first and greenways/walkways second. We see millions being spent on the eastern side of Bandon with the extension of the Clare O’Leary Walk but then on western side of the town we have a bone shaker of a road heading to Clonakilty.’
He said this wouldn’t happen in a ‘nightmare’ and said motorists have to brace themselves when driving near Gaggin, outside Bandon.
‘We have to find another way to drag some more money down for this road. We don’t have trains so we need the roads.’
His colleague, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy said he hopes the funding imbalance will be rebalanced.
‘We should write to Minister Darragh O’Brien outlining the current state of the N71 and the whole issue of the rural periphery area not getting its bang for its buck,’ said Cllr Murphy.
Cllr Daniel Sexton (Ind Ire) said some sections of the N71 are in ‘tatters’ and people are very unhappy about the state of the road. He said the road at Owenahincha is tapering to the right and Pedlars Cross is also in a very bad condition.
Recent funding announced from TII failed to deliver any funding for some dangerous stretches of the N71 including the Newmills/Owenahincha junction, which has been on the agenda for several years.
