15 Kilometres of Tipperary Roadway Completed Through Kelly's Community Roads Scheme
Issued : Monday 14 April, 2014
Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport Alan Kelly TD today revealed that an additional funding fifteen kilometers of roadway have been built in Tipperary through the Community Involvement scheme.
The scheme, which was overseen by Minister Alan Kelly, allows communities to contribute to the cost of repairing minor roads. The contribution can be made financially or through donations of machinery, equipment or even man-hours.
A total of 28 schemes have been completed across Tipperary costing €613,000 with Minister Kelly announcing that an additional €4.5million will become available for the scheme nationally.
Speaking today Minister Kelly said: “I am delighted to announce that the highly successful Community Involvement Scheme will continue following a review of the pilot last year. Tipperary has been one of the counties that has benefit the most with fifteen kilometers of isolated rural roads being repaired or maintained that would not otherwise have been done. The way in which many communities have worked with the local authorities on this matter has been exceptional and I look forward to this work continuing,” Minister Kelly stated.
The scheme represents a new and innovative reform of our road maintenance system and as a result, works with a value of almost €9 million were undertaken across the country in 2013 at a cost to the State of €6.63 million.
“In the normal course of a County Council’s road works programme, repairs to minor county roads would only be considered towards the end of the programme after more heavily trafficked routes had been dealt with. The purpose of the Community Involvement Scheme is to permit local participation in the repair of roads.”
“In this way, if there are particular problems affecting a given stretch of road and if the local community are willing to assist the local authority (in money or kind) with the necessary works, then such roads can be improved sooner than would otherwise be the case. As such, the scheme recognises local community involvement in this area, without in any way taking from the statutory responsibilities of County Councils.”
The scheme is a voluntary scheme and Tipperary local authority will have until May 2nd to submit for schemes for this year. I would encourage any community groups with a roadway that requires repairs to contact the county council to examine the potential to apply for road repairs under this scheme,” concluded Minister Alan Kelly.
ENDS.
