Anger at TII reps’ failure to attend Cork council meeting

THE inability of representatives from Transport Infrastructure Ireland to attend individual council, municipal district, and strategic policy committee meetings frustrated county councillors at last Monday’s council meeting.

The issue was raised after Andrew Moore, senior regulatory and administration executive with the TII, replied to previous correspondence from the council, which sought clarity on speed-limit decisions and enquired about meeting with TII representatives.

In the letter to Cork Council Council, Mr Moore said: “Due to staffing constraints, it is not possible for representatives of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to attend individual council, municipal district, strategic policy committee, or other local authority committee meetings, throughout the country. 

"Cork County Council recently made its special speed limits for the county, on June 12, 2023. This followed a lengthy period of consultation with An Garda Síochána, the public and, in relation to national roads, TII.”

The response angered several councillors and it was agreed that the council would write back to the TII seeking a meeting. The council also agreed to write to the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, highlighting the negative response from the TII.

Fianna Fáil councillor Seamus McGrath said it is ‘outrageous’ that the TII won’t accept a request to attend a meeting. 

“The response is extremely disappointing. It is quite outrageous that TII do no see fit to accept a request from us as a local authority that somebody would attend. This isn’t a request we make too often, and I think they should be prepared to attend a local authority meeting even on a 12 monthly basis from a point of view of engaging with local authorities. I would ask that we would reply to this and again repeat our request,” he said.

Mr McGrath said: “I would also suggest that we write to the minister for transport, highlighting the fact that we have got a negative response from TII to a request for them to attend an engagement with us as a local authority.”

A spokesperson for TII told The Echo: “TII works in collaboration with our colleagues in Cork County Council on a daily basis. TII would not be able to achieve the significant amount of success in delivering multiple projects throughout County Cork without having a strong working relationship, as is evident by the on-going development of major projects like the M8/N25 Dunkettle interchange, the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom, and the progression of N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy project.”