Housing to see biggest slice of €281m
PAUL MURPHY
An ambitious spending programme revealed by Meath County Council this week aims at putting more than €281 million into projects and services in the county over the next three years.
The capital investment programme, which got a generally warm welcome from councillors, is spreading the spending over the years 2017 to 2020 with €57.2 million allocated for this year, peaking at €74.4m in 2018, but with further spends of €73.3m in 2019, and closing the programme with €55.9m in 2020.
The importance of the provision of housing stands out in the budget. The largest allocation – €146.6 million goes into this section with construction projects taking up €66.2m, a further €22m on buying properties, and €25.4m in the voluntary sector. €12m is to be spent on Party V housing, €2.6 on Traveller accommodation and €14.3 on energy upgrades/improvement works.
There will also be heavy expenditure in road transport and safety.
Of the €69.3m to be spent between now and 2020, large projects to be tackled include greenways (Boyne Greenway to Bru na Boinne (€6.3m), Boyne Valley to Lakelands (€3.3m), Royal Canal (€1.8m), Boyneside Trail (€120k); Navan 2030 project €13.1m; N51 Dunmoe to Wickers Cross (€14.7m); N52 Stephenstown-Fingerstown (€3.1m); R150 Laytown to Bettystown Design and Planning (€4.3m); R153 Farganstown-Metges Road junction (€5.6m); Ratoath outer relief (€2.5m); Milltown Road Ashbourne (€1m).
In environmental protection, where €20.5m is allocated up to 2020, €1.9m will be spent on civil defence and Meath County Council training Centre, €5.8m on graveyards (with heaviest expenditure at Kilcloon, Dunboyne, Stamullen, Trim, Kells and Laytown.
Of the €16.2m allocated under the heading “recreation and amenity”, €7m will be spent on libraries and courthouses but there are also large allocations for Ashbourne Linear Park (€1.3m), Ashbourne Community Centre (€770k), Johnstown Navan Community Facility (€700k), Laytown-Bettystown Community Facility (€700k).
Some councillors queried a €87k allocation for Lobinstown (population 1,251). However, Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Meade said that 6,000 people in the surrounding area would use the facility, which had been awaited for 10 years.
Fianna Fail Cllr Tommy Reilly had a particular welcome for a €550k spend on the Hill of Tara but said that final approval to a management plan should be given by government and the Office of Public Works.
The spending programme will be largely financed by revenues from grants (€215.9 million ), levies/charges (€24.6m), revenue provision (€14.6m), and loans (€5.7m).
Council Finance Officer Fiona Lawless said that government loans were in short supply. Within the spending programme, spending of a strategic nature was given priority, she said.
Cllr Nick Killian criticised provision of housing funds, and the €2m allocated for the purchase of land for housing was “appallingly low.”