Kildare politicians disappointed over termination of contract

The termination of a contract regarding a project in North Kildare was met with disappointment from councillors at the latest Clane-Maynooth Municipal District meeting.

Green Party Cllr Peter Hamilton put forward the following motion to Kildare County Council (KCC) at the meeting, which was held on Friday, October 6 last: "That the council provide an update on the Royal Canal Greenway upgrade from the Intel campus to Maynooth, addressing the issues involved and timeline to get the developer on site, and to provide projected start and completion dates for this project."

His motion was seconded by Labour Party Cllr Angela Feeney.

In response, KCC said in its report at the meeting that that the council has mutually terminated the contract for Section 1 of the contractor (between Confey Bridge and Louisa Bridge).

KCC added: "By concluding the legal agreement, the council can re-tender the completion of the contract, including some works outstanding on Section 1.

"The retender will be completed in Q4 2023 with construction to start Q1 2024."

KCC further said that the contract is estimated to be another 15 months.

Cllr Hamilton replied: "I am disappointed to see the termination of the contract... was there any intention to let the public know?

"It’s like the road to nowhere."

Cllr Feeney agreed with his sentiments, adding: "The locals deserve to be informed.

"We (the councillors) are not getting regular updates either, we are being put on the long finger," she added.

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'THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY HERE'

Fianna Fáil Cllr Naoise Ó Cearúil also commented on the matter, saying: "I can tell you this: I work in the private sector, and if this happened, I would be out on my ear; there would be serious ramifications."

"There doesn’t seem to be any accountability here."

KCC engineer Cyril Buggie told members that the council has to re-tender the project first before progressing matters.

Independent Cllr Pádraig McEvoy also asked: "I understand that some things are difficult, but is the Q1 target really realistic?"

Mr Buggie replied: "It’s very difficult to say yes."

However, Marian Higgins, Director of Services - Climate, Community, Environment & Water with KCC, added: "I want to reassure councillors that this is a priority project. We are in a good place now, and the tender will move it along."

Following this, Cllr Hamilton thanked both Ms Higgins and Mr Buggie for their 'honest answers.'