A POLITICIAN has called on a local authority to explain how a town tourism project to replace some signs could cost €670,000.
Cork County councillor Danny Collins said Cork County Council said the public has a right to know all the details and costings of a €670,000 Destination Town Project, which includes a stainless steel information portal in Bantry’s town square, according to a local politician.
He said the council needs to be more transparent and to communicate better with the public and councillors as rumours flew that the portal alone which replaced a bus stop was costing tens of thousands of euros.
He said: “The story that went out first was untrue. It claimed that this one structure, the portal was costing €670,000.
“In fact there are different projects being done over the past year in the town with the help of a Failte Ireland grant and funding by Cork County Council.
“There are different signs, fingerpost signs, seating, lighting, pavement works all of which is contributing to the €670,000.
“It’s all done to provide information about the town for visitors and locals and includes signs with the history of the town and other interesting historical facts including Wolfe Tone and others.
“I have put in a motion for our next Council meeting looking for details of all the projects involved in this and the costing of same.
“Any decision taken in respect of these works is done by executive decision not by the councillors.
“I am also asking that for future works in any town or village they be brought to us first, the councillors and community groups from the areas.
“We are on the frontline and we need to have accurate information otherwise what happened with the misinformation circulating about the portal will continue to happen.”
The Southern Star newspaper first highlighted the cost of the project who quoted locals as describing the project, and the new portal in particular, as “wanton waste” and a “waste of taxpayers’ money”.
Cork County Council said the overall costing €670,000 was for the entire Destination Towns Programme and not for a single sign.
In a statement to RTE, the local authority said that Failte Ireland paid €500,000 of the cost, with the Council matching funding by 25 per cent.
The town was chosen as part of a national scheme given its strategic importance as a tourist destination.
SIGN TARGETS
The new tourism signage targets cruise and ferry visitors.
The project involved the removal of 20 existing signs; improving seating and street furniture; lighting and paving; and erecting new stainless-steel signs, the Council said.
These include one large stainless-steel portal on Wolfe Tone Square, six totem signs, eight lectern structures and eight directional fingerpost signs at key locations around the town.
