Galway city will suffer from the cuts to the proposed traffic plan for Seamus Quirke Road, repairs at Wolfe Tone Bridge, and the reduction of the Traffic Management Grant.
This is the view of Labour president and Galway West TD Michael D Higgins. He says the Government’s total provision for the Galway City Council has just been cut by more than €2 million from an original allocation of +€3.8 million.
Dep Higgins said the slashing of c€1.8 million has had “devastating consequences”, resulting in more than €1 million being “knocked off the proposed traffic plan for Seamus Quirke Road” with “the long awaited provision for extra lanes and a bus lane” not now going ahead.
The provision for roads in Doughiska has been reduced from €720,000 to €600,000 and the allocation of €280,000 for repairs at Wolfe Tone Bridge has been completely withdrawn. Dep Higgins said every area of the city will suffer by the reduction of the Traffic Management Grant from €475,000 to €60,000.
“All of this slashing of the immediate budget, of work that was ready to be undertaken, is what could have been achieved within months,” he said. “Most urgent is the need for a common position on reversing the cuts just announced, so that projects such as that of Seamus Quirke Road can go ahead.”
