Minister backs meeting to address unsafe Kildare cycle path
The controversial Moone-Timolin cycle path Photo: Aisling Hyland
MINISTER for Transport Darragh O’Brien recently suggested that a delegation meeting between Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Kildare County Council – which would not involve the elected members of the council – as the most efficient way for the Moone-Timolin cycle path issue to be discussed.
Minister O’Brien suggested in the Dáil last week that the elected members of the Athy Municipal District request that the Moone-Timolin cycle path be included on the agenda for the next meeting between Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and Kildare County Council.
The Minister gave his view after South Kildare TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked him for a statement on TII’s recent refusal to meet with the elected members.
In response, Minister O’Brien stated his understanding that TII have invited Kildare County Council to include the matter on the agenda for the next delegation meeting between the two organisations.
He suggested that they do this, so as to “maximise resource use”, giving his view that these delegation meetings are “an optimum and efficient use of available resources for both parties (TII and the county council)”.
The minister’s comments appeared to infer that a meeting between the elected members of Athy Municipal District and TII would be less efficient.
The exchange between Deputy Ó Fearghaíl and the minister came shortly after a recent meeting of Athy Municipal District where the council’s director for planning, enterprise and economic development Alan Dunney said that the council would put together a letter to TII seeking an “urgent meeting”.
This was agreed after cllr Aoife Breslin asked that another letter be written to TII to express the disappointment felt by the elected members, describing it as an “insult” to them that TII are refusing to meet with them.
She noted that TII would only meet with some of the “technical staff” from the council despite a meeting between the elected members and TII being specifically requested.
Cathaoirleach Ivan Keatley noted at the meeting that the council had yet to receive drawing with solutions to the issues on the Moone-Timolin road, despite guarantees that they would receive them. Mr Dunney said that the council is “chasing” the drawings.
The cathaoirleach asked the elected members to meet in private after the MD meeting to “discuss a way forward, in terms of the pressure that we can bring to bear on TII”.
It was indicated by the council in February that works to address issues on the road would be carried out in March. With the end of March approaching, it remains unclear when these works will be carried out.
The Moone Timolin Positive Action Group are due to meet with the council and representatives of the TTI this Wednesday to discuss the road.
