No Bypass for Balybofey/Stranorlar?

puffdragon

My thoughts on this decision range from saddness for the people who campaigned for this bypass for so long to sheer anger at the absolute waste of public money spending four to five million(yep thats right they cant put a closer figure on it than that anywhere within a million will do these tossers) on a survey to nothing.

If you were on the dole and god forbid you were caught working,yes I know some would say just deserts ,not only would you be stopped from getting dole again but you would have to pay that money back to "society" as it were.

So where is the justice in our wee society in Donegal where €5 million can be squandered in such a small community, jasus €5 million would put an extra lane on the road from lifford to letterkeny or the road from barnes more to Ballybofey,

Great mother of god has the world gone crazy?

Can someone not be prosecuted for mishandling public funds or something ,although I don't want a head to stick on a steak outside the town at least some form of inquiry into why so much time and money was wasted and who sanctioned it and who was monitoring the surveyors and could they not liaise with An Bord Planalla during the process to ensure an economic and possitive outcome

An then the sickening response of Mary Coughlan and a couple of other politicians who come on the radio after the fact to describe the f

---

g water!!

I do more negotiating with my 16 year old son on a friday night before he goes to a party than these feckers have done in the whole debate over this bypass!! Sometimes I wonder if anyone from the two sides(the surveyors and the planners) ever meet!! How much did they get paid anyway and how much of the money was used by our own planners?

Gulliver

Having worked in Letterkenny and travelling home to Leitrim every evening, my one wish was to get these towns bypassed. It easily added 30-40 mins to my journey at times.

I heard there were major rows going on behind the scenes over the proposed route. "Not in my backyard" and "We'll lose so much business!" type stuff.

Senna

This project has seemed doomed since day one.

Have the council already purchased the land for the bypass?

Tom Donnavan

I am starting to wonder was political pressure put on an Bord Pleanala, behind the scenes, to turn it down so that Mary Coughlan can look so competent and capable, pretending to do her best for us while at the same time the goverment do not want to spend the money. After all she has kept her own side of the Gap happy with the Donegal Town and Bundoran Ballyshannon by passes.
I always thought Letterkenny would get its extra bridge over the swilly first but was not sure how "the powers that be" would arrange it.
Wait till you see now!

puffdragon

Its a long saga I'm afraid of promises and funding which seems to have been diverted elsewhere, but I can see from the history of the problem that it basically boils down to a lack of decent representation by the politicians in the Finn Valley that they (sorry) basically "**** the nest" on this one.

Too comfortable on their guranteed wage and no real concern for the people who trusted them for years, my father and his father before were always Fianna Fail voters and in fact on more than a few occasions he would have told me which way he wanted me to vote.But no more !!

Its obvious that after the failure of the Fianna Fail Councillors to make adequate representations on this matter that the whole of the Finn Valley is going to suffer, years of abuse and neglect have gone into this decission and we only have ourselves to blame for voting them in!!

A few links to catalouge the history of this disaster wont help I'm sure but here goes, in the vain hope that someone might listen!!

Minister Michael Martin 2006 and it goes on and on with specific mention of the bypass in every case,jasus I'm no politician but somewhere in this theirs a flagrant lie or two!!
http://www.entemp.ie/press/2006/20060727.htm

http://www.ndp.ie/viewdoc.asp?Userlang=EN&DocID=980&UserLang=EN&css=3

http://www.patthecope.com/press_Details.asp?Press_release_ID=741&Lang=English

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:NvbW5p6OtYUJ:www.talktoeu.ie/Global/Final%2520County%2520Reports%2520for%2520site/donegal.pdf+Balybofey/Stranorlar+Bypass&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0541/D.0541.200110090209.html

This one even says its "under construction"

http://www.skynet.ie/~zoney/roads/road_projects.html

http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalnews/Bypass-decision-expected-in-next.5527463.jp

And after talking to a local politician today it seems that the funding for this project can now be withdrawn as the planners have taken too long to bring in to the boards attention and other "more important" projects may take precedence now!! what a mess!!

JupiterKid

Well when you vote for Fianna Fail(ure), you reap what you sow.

It's because of people continuing to vote them in again and again and again that they have become so utterly complacent.

buckfasterer

Gulliver wrote: »

I heard there were major rows going on behind the scenes over the proposed route. "Not in my backyard" and "We'll lose so much business!" type stuff.

That would make sense.....sure isnt that the reason Tesco wasnt allowed into the town.

Essexboy

An Bórd Pleanála give the reasons for refusal at http://www.pleanala.ie/casenum/HA0009.htm

Redsoxfan

So what happens next? Sounds like a significant number of junctions would have to be re-designed and a new EIS prepared. I'm guessing the funds required for such activities won't be available for quite some time.

gerry28

Redsoxfan wrote: »

So what happens next?

The government will be wiping their brow in relief at not having to fork out €200 million for the bypass.

Tom Donnavan

gerry28 wrote: »

The government will be wiping their brow in relief at not having to fork out €200 million for the bypass.

just what they wanted.

puffdragon

A hoverkraft might suit the roads better at the moment, jasus that rain was heavy!!

sorry thats off subject I know!!

Essexboy

The Programme for Government says

"We will review the completion dates and appropriate road standard of the
remaining 94 road projects at the design stage or earlier stage of development in light of the economic circumstances, falling road usage and our climate change objectives. "

Bye-bye bypass?

muffler

Cant see anything positive happening over the next 5 years at least. Even when times were better with more funding available it appeared that the Council had difficulties in securing funding from central government for the design of the project.

Vinegar Hill

The residents of Daisyhill are glad to hear it.

muffler

Vinegar Hill wrote: »

The residents of Daisyhill are glad to hear it.

Not according to their press release.

Essexboy

muffler wrote: »

Not according to their press release.

is there a link?

muffler

Essexboy wrote: »

is there a link?

I read it in the Finn Valley Voice newspaper. They basically stated that they were disappointed at the overall outcome and that they were campaigning only to keep a road open but not to stop the by-pass.

sesswhat

Back to the drawing board.

North_West_Art

so how much has been spent on it already on consultancy fees? I did see something on the fornt page of the paper a few weeks ago about the amount already spent, but I dont really want to say the figure here, just in case I dreamt it

ednwireland

North_West_Art wrote: »

so how much has been spent on it already on consultancy fees? I did see something on the fornt page of the paper a few weeks ago about the amount already spent, but I dont really want to say the figure here, just in case I dreamt it

4-5 million according to

http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/donegalnews/Twin-Towns-bypass-refused.5778227.jp

mind you projected overall cost was 204 million so ............

changes

I drive through ballybofey for work everyday so the bypass would be great.

I see in the democrat they mention an over bridge?

Will this be located at gorttletreagh or on the mcfeeley's brae (or both)

puffdragon

Well im not lettin them away with it ye hear!! Listen people just look at Castlefinn bridge and the shambles of the lights in Killygordon(€400,000 i was told and you have to sit there for no reason just thinking about all the money they wasted) These guys couldn't even find the brewery that they couldn't organise a piss-up in . the whole things a joke ,Its time we started asking some pertinent questions this time ,like for instance WHO, yes WHO is actually responsible. does the buck stop with the county manager or some poor unfortunate engineer or a planner(ooohhh the misterious planners) or God forbid some co councillour somewhere . I'll ask you the question first boarders and here it is,;

Who in the Donegal Co Council will be held responsible for the obvious waste of taxpayers money on badly organised ,badly planned projects, who?

Is it possible for us this time around to actually put someone in charge then there will be accountability,responsibility (and some other ility i cant think of right now) Is there anyone brave enough in the county house to stand up and say "yes I'll take care of that" or are they like us just being dragged along by the goullies ..ah I give up!!!!

ednwireland

puffdragon wrote: »

Who in the Donegal Co Council will be held responsible for the obvious waste of taxpayers money on badly organised ,badly planned projects, who?

Is it possible for us this time around to actually put someone in charge then there will be accountability,responsibility (and some other ility i cant think of right now) Is there anyone brave enough in the county house to stand up and say "yes I'll take care of that" or are they like us just being dragged along by the goullies ..ah I give up!!!!

county manager thats who's responsible (i think ) unelected and unaccountable pretty much

Domscard

ednwireland wrote: »

county manager thats who's responsible (i think ) unelected and unaccountable pretty much

And just about to retire with a very nice pension and no consequences for anything :mad:

Essexboy

Domscard wrote: »

And just about to retire with a very nice pension and no consequences for anything :mad:

I hope he pays tax on it.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0616/1224272615944.html

An Executive that cannnot organise its taxes can hardly be expected organise anything else.