Bantry's €1m cash boost from Council last year

CORK County Council spent close on €1m in Bantry in 2017.

The West Cork Municipal District’s municipal officer Justin England supplied each member with a breakdown of how the money was spent.

He told the councillors – who hold their monthly meeting in a different West Cork venue every month – that every area would receive its own financial statement.

It was Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) who originally asked for a formal breakdown of the amount of money that is spent in Bantry every year.

At the end of 2016, she tabled a motion at a meeting of the Western Committee calling on Council officials to prove that Bantry was not being left ‘in the halfpenny place.’

Cllr Hegarty, Cllr Patrick Gerard Murphy (FF) and Cllr Danny Collins (Ind) all spoke in favour of the motion because local business groups had angrily complained about the lack of progress and development within the town.

Cllr Hegarty said the last 12 months had seen extraordinary development in the town, including the new marina, and the construction of two major new supermarkets, but she said people still wanted to know what investment the local authority was making in the area.

The Council’s financial breakdown showed that €970,000 was spent on more than 40 programmes and projects.

On average, the sum of €20,000 was spent on upgrading the town’s public convenience; €23,000 was spent on marketing; €73,000 on promoting cruise tourism; €62,000 on festivals and events; €31,000 on infrastructure; €30,000 on various at programmes; €40,000 on general maintenance; €8,000 on the Air India remembrance; €27,000 on approach roads presentation; €11,000 on verge cutting; €5,000 on Christmas lighting; €17,000 on footpath maintenance; €17,000 on gateway projects; €32,000 on resurfacing Marino Street; and €134,000 on resurfacing, drainage and paving at William Street.

In excess of €16,000 was spent on a variety of smaller projects including the community hedge cutting scheme, equipment purchase, festival grants, hedge planting, the refurbishment of the Peace Park and the development of the pitch at Kealkil.

The sum of €77,000 as spent on branding and upgrading Bantry Market, as well as the refurbishment of an amenity space.

An additional €32,000 was spent on public conveniences; €40,000 on additional tourism and cruise promotion; €6,000 on litter control; €45,000 on street cleaning; €28,000 on burial grounds; €21,000 on water safety; €25,000 on the maintenance of open spaces; €9,000 on the maintenance of playgrounds; €23,000 on piers and harbours; €10,000 on coastal protection; and €93,000 on casual trading.