Bray’s NTA Funding DOA

Bray Main Street. Yesterday. Around 11.34am.

atest press release from Wicklow Sinn Féin, issued on Monday, February 20th 2023…

At the recent Council meeting in Bray, it was reported that NTA funds secured for a number of schemes were returned unspent at the end of 2022.

The Bray schemes include, Vevay Road cycle route, Killarney Road cycle route, Kilmac to Bray greenway, Southern Cross vulnerable road users improvements, improvements to the Scalp.

Sinn Féin Councillor Dermot ‘Daisy’ O’Brien expressed his dismay at the news.

“It was a case of Irony, Tragedy and Farce at the Bray meeting.

“How ironic that on the night when we receive a presentation about the new E-Bike scheme coming to Bray that we also hear about the scrapping of the NTA schemes which were promoting cycle lane infrastructure!

“How tragic it must seem to the electorate when they see some of their elected representatives discussing boarded up houses and the lack of funds to refurbish them, while at the same time seeing their Council handing back unspent money!?

“It’s hard to avoid the farcical nature of this experience. We are the politicians who push for funding, work with communities to develop projects or propose ideas. We celebrate the announcement of funding allocations, and we buy into the positive anticipation with our communities. Then we have a scenario where a County Council decision was made without the involvement of any elected members to hand back unspent money and scrap a whole series of important projects!

“I have asked why the money wasn’t spent?

“I have asked how the decision was made to scrap certain projects?

“I have asked how much money was handed back?

“Far too often elected members are caught in the middle and judged harshly about decisions that they are not involved in making.

“This is not a way to build confidence in local democracy…”