No audit of Cork city footpaths despite €1.4m in claims
Among the complaints made by the public were several describing footpaths as “dangerous” and one saying that an elderly man split his eyebrow open and damaged his hand when tripping over on uneven paving. File picture.
No audit of the city's footpaths has ever been done by Cork City Council, despite it having paid out almost €1.4m in footpath claims between June 2025 and 2026.
Furthermore, Cork City Council has paid out far more in public liability claims than other Irish local authority, according to a new report from an oversight body.
More than two-thirds of all public liability claims paid out by Cork City Council in the twelve months from June 2025 related to footpaths, according to information recently provided to following a Freedom of Information request.
Footpath claims have made up the majority of the total monies paid out, with an average value of €26,200 awarded per claimant, compared to just under €4,000 for a road issue claim.
Among the complaints made by the public were several describing footpaths as “dangerous” and one saying that an elderly man split his eyebrow open and damaged his hand when tripping over on uneven paving.
Last year, the council paid out €7.5m in overall public liability claims, according to the report by the National Oversight and Audit Committee (NOAC).
NOAC said that public liability claims, which are paid out by insurers, “place considerable pressure on both revenue and capital budgets, reducing the resources available for the delivery of services and infrastructure projects”.
The report found that Cork City Council paid out €32.11 per capita [head of population], which was up 17%.
This represents the highest cost in Ireland, well above the national average cost of €11.85 per capita, as per the most recent Census, with Cork County paying out just €7.55, one of 20 councils whose payouts were under €10 per capita.
Independent Ireland councillor Noel O’Flynn asked the council at the most recent meeting if it would undertake an audit of all the footpaths in the city, in light of the figures released to .
The council’s John Stapleton, director of local area development and operations, said that Cork City Council is responsible for approximately 2,000km of public footpaths, with a replacement value of approximately €375m.
he said. But he added that the Council maintains a record of footpath defects through engineering inspections, public reports, representations from councillors, public liability investigations and condition assessments undertaken as part of annual maintenance and capital programmes.
“This information informs a risk-based approach to footpath maintenance and replacement, with locations presenting the greatest risk or poorest condition being prioritised for intervention. Defects identified as posing an immediate safety concern are addressed as a priority,” he said.
Mr Stapleton added that in 2025, the dedicated footpath replacement budget increased by €4m, with additional funding of €160,000 for each of the five council wards.
The council remains committed to ongoing condition assessment surveys, and area engineers “will continue to review principal pedestrian routes and implement remedial works as financial resources permit”, he said.
It will also "continue to develop its asset management systems and condition data" to support future investment decisions and the ongoing improvement of the city's footpath network", he added.
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