Cork City Council road projects run almost €3m over budget

A number of major road projects completed by Cork City Council in the past 18 months came in almost €3m over their original tender sums, figures released to councillors show.

The final accounts for the 10 capital projects total just over €30.3m, compared with the €27.4m initially planned, an overrun of almost 11%.

The Mahon Active Travel and Public Realm scheme accounted for the highest amount of overrun — costing €1.2m more than the €11.8m it was tendered for.

Glanmire to City Phase 1 was €790,000 over, while the Donnybrook Hill Pedestrian Improvement Scheme exceeded its tender by €350,000.

In total, eight of the 10 projects cost more than tendered for, with the only two exceptions being the Innishmore active travel scheme in Ballincollig, which came in about €4,400 under, and the Parnell Bridge works, which finished exactly on budget.

The figures were provided to Sinn Féin councillor Kenneth Collins at Monday night’s council meeting.

Mr Collins had also sought details on housing projects that had exceeded their initial agreed budget in the last 18 months. He was told that although 12 housing projects, including new developments and energy efficiency retrofit programmes had been delivered during this period, the figures were not available as the final accounts for some had not yet been finalised with the Government.

The projects were funded by the Department of Housing, Department of Transport, or the National Transport Authority.

Mr Collins said: “It does not matter whether this funding comes directly from council or through the NTA; it is public money, and it deserves respect.

“There are potholes, broken footpaths, and dangerous junctions right across Cork city. Imagine the difference this €3m in additional funding could have made for so many communities?

“It is not acceptable that we were not proactively told about these overspends. We still wouldn’t know about them if I hadn’t asked this question.”