No funds to improve ‘diabolical’ Patrick Street surface

The road surface of the N72 on Patrick Street, Fermoy, is ‘ absolutely diabolical’, according to local councillor Frank O’Flynn.

At the recent Northern Committee meeting of Cork County Council, Cllr O’Flynn requested an update from the roads department as to whether anything would be done about the road on Fermoy’s main street, as he claimed he had received multiple representations on such.

“The surface there is absolutely diabolical. It’s like a third world road and it’s in very, very poor condition,” Cllr O’Flynn said.

Cllr Noel McCarthy concurred, stating the road is in ‘awful condition’ and claimed that councillors are receiving representations of such. However, they cannot do anything about it as the road is under the control of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), and not Cork County Council.

“It’s our main street, people are very proud of it, but something needs to be done,” Cllr McCarthy said.

‘UNFORTUNATELY, I’VE NO GOOD NEWS..’

Director of Roads with Cork County Council, Padraig Barrett, stated that TII had not allocated sufficient funding to pavement works in 2022 which would see road surface improvements and as a result, requests have been issued to redistribute funding already allocated towards more pressing projects.

“I would say our national road network is, from a pavements perspective, dramatically underfunded and we have significant deficiencies on our national road network,” Mr Barrett said.

Mr Barrett noted that the council have requested approval from TII to move funding from certain projects in what he claimed is a case of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.

“The fact is, the national roads pavements are dramatically underfunded and we are under pressure. Unfortunately I’ve no good news on Patrick Street. We have no funding for it at this point and time,” he added.

Concluding, Mr Barrett noted that applications have been made for urgent pavement repairs and that Cork County Council are waiting to hear back on such.

Pressing the matter, Cllr O’Flynn requested that the Northern Committee would write to the Minister of Transport seeking funding to carry out works there.

“We can’t take no for an answer on Patrick Street. This has been going on for too long and it’s too important,” Cllr O’Flynn said.

Cllr Noel McCarthy agreed, asking that a meeting be set up with TII so that the issue could be raised.

“Even if we could get some sort of funding in place for the next year or two years, we would have something to look forward to,” he added.

CHRIST CHURCH JUNCTION

At the March meeting of the Northern Committee, an update was also issued regarding works to the Christ Church junction in Fermoy Town.

May of 2021 saw funding of €300,000 allocated for improvements at the junction where the N72 meets the R639 at the bottom of Barrack Hill.

Seeking a timeframe on the proposed works, Cllr O’Flynn asked when action on the ground may be seen at the five road junction.

In his management report issued to members at the meeting, Director of Roads with Cork County Council Padraig Barrett, noted that the preparation of a design and Part 8 planning for the works is underway.

Responding to the Glanworth councillor’s query, Mr Barrett noted that once designs are complete, proposed works will be required to go through Part 8 planning.

He noted that such plans will be brought before council members in the coming months, at which point, the scale of the project will be known.