It won’t go very far, that’s for sure.

At last night’s Cork City Council meeting, the Director of Services confirmed that just €200,000 has been allocated by councillors for footpath repairs in the city.

“The amount of money allocated by current sitting Councillors to footpath repairs in Cork city is woefully inadequate.” said Social Democrats candidate in Cork City South Central Pádraig Rice.

“In too many parts of the city, the footpaths are in a state of disrepair. This is causing huge accessibility issues for people with disabilities, including people who are blind and those who use wheelchairs.

“It makes it harder to push children in buggies, and there is a real danger that more people will trip and fall. More money must be allocated by Councillors to make repairs and upgrades possible. It’s a disgrace that this issue has been neglected by Councillors over the last five years.”

Mr Rice said the problems are particularly clear in his neighbourhood:

“Around Ballyphehane, where I live, lots of the footpaths are cracked and damaged,” he added.

“The footpaths on Pearse Road are completely inaccessible for anyone who uses a wheelchair because of the sudden drop between the footpath and the road. I have spoken to local residents who have to take their wheelchairs out onto the busy road because they can’t get past on the footpath.

“This is a disgrace. People with disabilities should be able to move freely and independently around the city without facing obstacles, barriers and additional dangers. I have written to the Council about this, and I will continue to highlight it until it’s improved.”

Mr Rice called on Cork City Council to “get the basics right”.

“The city needs to be properly cleaned and maintained. Public spaces need to be improved with more public toilets, playgrounds, small parks, benches, drinking water fountains and trees. The footpaths need to be fixed, and the roads need to be repaired.

“These are the small things that make a big difference in people’s lives.”