Bantry Sailing Club's members ‘need protection' to get to water

A REQUEST for proper pedestrian access from the sailing club in Bantry to the waterfront was discussed at a meeting of the Western Committee of Cork County Council.

Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) tabled the motion and Cllr Danny Collins (Ind) supported it saying: ‘There are between 300 and 400 people using the club and they should be protected.’ 

Bob O’Shea, who is a senior engineer at the Council’s National Roads Office, informed them that calming measures are funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) for national roads. 

He said the N71 in the vicinity of the sailing club is within the 50km/h speed limit zone and that a report would be forwarded to TII outlining the position outside the sailing club and include a request for funding for traffic calming measures.

Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) tabled a second motion at the meeting calling on Cork County Council to seek emergency funding to surface the N71 from Bantry Square to Newtown and around Bantry Square. The Fine Gael councillor also appealed to West Cork’s four Oireachtas members – Sen Denis O’Donovan and deputies Margaret Murphy O’Mahony (FF), Michael Collins (Ind) and Jim Daly (FG) – to make representation on behalf of the people of Bantry in this regard.

In response, Mr O’Shea said: ‘TII is the funding authority for national roads. Repairs to national roads are prioritised based on road surveys carried out in the past few years. And, to date, the sections of the N71 mentioned in your notice of motions have not made it on to the priority list. A request for funding will nevertheless be submitted to TII.’