While extra cash that was expected for road repairs in the Irish Republic after the 'big freeze' has been vetoed, that's not the case over the border.
Irish Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said any extra money would instead have to come from existing budgets, shattering hopes by builders of fresh road repair contracts.
In contrast, it has been revealed that an additional £10.5m will be spent on road resurfacing and £4.5m will be spent on repairs and patching in NI.
The figure was revealed this week by the NI Department of Regional Development as the thaw began to clear roads that had been iced up and frozen for nearly three weeks.
The cash was found in response to a December 'monitoring round' plus some internal adjustments.
The good news from Stormont came as authorities in Dublin were forced to admit that the impact of heavy snow, sub-zero temperatures and aggressive gritting has left many roads badly damaged or pot-holed.
Mr Dempsey said it was up to local authorities how they prioritised using the €400m given to them for such occurrences and that extra cash was unlikely despite the weather conditions being the worst of their kind for almost half a century.
The Minister said that councils were warned each year to hold back certain funds for weather-related spending, adding that there is no emergency fund for severe weather. "People will have to work within the allocations that they have been given," he said.
(BMcC/GK)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
21/11/2024
Plans for a new £5.5m hotel near Belfast International Airport have been approved. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council's Planning Committee green-lit the proposal for the 81-room Premier Inn Hotel, which will be developed by JH Turkington & Sons. The construction phase is expected to support ...
21/11/2024
Northern Ireland construction company GRAHAM has completed works at Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) in Nottingham. The works for Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust included refurbishments and M&E installations of the Interventional Radiology Department at the centre, which carries out ...
21/11/2024
The Gull Wing Bridge in Lowestoft, built by Northern Ireland-based civil engineering contractor Farrans, has been officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The bridge, which was constructed on behalf of Suffolk County Council and provides a long-awaited third crossing over Lake ...
21/11/2024
An investment of €12.5m has been made by Uisce Éireann for essential upgrades to the Killybegs Water Treatment Plant in County Donegal. The works, which are being carried out by EPS Group on behalf of Uisce Éireann, will benefit more than 4,000 customers by providing a more reliable and ...
21/11/2024
Construction works have commenced on the new Newtownards to Bangor (Green Road) Greenway. The 5.4km route will help to better connect the town of Newtownards with the city of Bangor by providing a new safe route for those who want to walk, wheel or cycle. The new Greenway includes three and ...
21/11/2024
Refurbishment plans for the Kilkeel Leisure Centre, totalling £3.3 million, are currently on display for the public at the centre. Contractors are expected to be on site in 2025 to commence the project, which will include the upgrade and expansion of the facility. The refurbishment will feature ...
21/11/2024
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (dlr) County Council has scooped the 'Energy in Buildings' Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) 2024 Award this month for their Ballyogan Square project. Developed by dlr Architects as a pioneering example of sustainable social housing, the development features 67 ...
21/11/2024
The Department for Infrastructure has provided an update for road maintenance and improvement works to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council members. The update centred on the years 2023/24 and 2024/25 and was delivered by Divisional Roads Manager Des McFarlane. "Currently, a full street lighting ...
21/11/2024
A new state-of-the-art play park has opened to the public in Castlederg, County Tyrone. Funded by the UK Government, the Castle Park Play Park project was delivered by Derry City and Strabane District Council, with GM Design bringing a creative and inclusive vision to life. Developer MP Coleman ...
21/11/2024
The Newport Water Treatment Plant in County Mayo is now back to full production capacity following restoration works by Uisce Éireann. Operational issues at the plant meant the capacity of the water treatment plant had reduced resulting in reservoirs depleting and impacting on supply to ...