Fury over footpath delays in Kilkenny village

A local councillor has hit out at the delays being faced to get the Mill Road Footpath Scheme over the line in the village of Mullinavat.

Cllr Eamon Aylward stated that ‘if Kilkenny City wanted it done, it’d be done, and it’s not acceptable’.

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The councillor was reacting to the recent news that the National Transport Authority (NTA) have asked the local authority to review some of the costings of the proposed scheme given its potential footfall.

“It’s a case of one step forward, two steps back,” Cllr Aylward said, speaking at the most recent meeting of Piltown Municipal District.

“This has been going on for around 10-12 years. The footpath should’ve been built and resurfaced for around the second time at this stage.

“Why do we have to revise the plans? This footpath is the starting point to a number of other works and there’s a lack of funding coming down this way.”

Area Engineer Stan Cullen informed the councillor that Piltown MD is ‘competing with other districts’ for funding and that there are ‘a significant amount of schemes’ that the local authority would like to see completed in the region under the NTA.

Cllr Pat Dunphy said that when it comes to such funding, ‘the city seems to be getting most of it’.

“Every area has to get their equal share and we’re getting some but not our fair share,” he said.

Cllr Ger Frisby echoed Cllr Dunphy’s remarks, adding that ‘rural areas are as important as urban areas’.

“A person walking on a footpath in Kilkenny is no more important than a person walking on a footpath in Slieverue,” he said.

“We have to change the mindset around the funding. If you build it they will come.

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“It’s like that road out there when they cut Slieverue village in half, how were local people going to cross the N25?

“Luckily now we will have the greenway coming in to Slieverue, allowing for an N25 overpass in the village that will take cars off the road.

“I guarantee you if we put the Mill Road Footpath in place, it will be used.”