JUST UNDER €50 million has been paid out on claims from falls on footpaths and roadways by Dublin City Council since 2017.

So far this year, close to €5.7 million has been paid out on the 348 claims that have been received for trips and falls in the City Council jurisdiction.

In 2017, payments worth more than €9.6 million were awarded for 911 claims.

While in 2018, 1,281 claims were received, with Dublin City Council issuing payments worth just under €9.6 million.

The figures were provided in response to a question to Dublin City Council from Fianna Fáil councillor Keith Connolly.

Almost €50 million paid out on claims from falls on footpaths and roadways in @DubCityCouncil over the last 5 and half years. pic.twitter.com/iJSsuqx9Bg

— Cllr. Keith Connolly (@keithconnollyff) September 5, 2022

Speaking to The Journal, Councillor Connolly said he asked for the figures “due to the amount of time it takes to get a pathway fixed… some of which could take up to five years”.

He added that “people often say that they are going to take legal action against the Council in order to get it repaired more quickly”.

The Ballymun-Finglas councillor described the payments as “quite high” and said “it demonstrates a clear need for additional funding to fix our pathways and carriageways throughout the city”.

He noted that “we have seen significant investment in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in recent years, and we need to see a similar investment in improving our footpaths and carriageways”.

In a statement to The Journal, Dublin City Council said “decisions on which footpaths and roadways are included in the annual works programme are based on the condition of the footpath and roadway”.

The spokesperson added: “Those footpaths and roadways that are in the poorest condition and therefore present as the greatest risk to road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, are prioritised for repair, insofar as the Division’s budget and resources permit.”

The spokesperson also noted that the “Division’s works crews have repaired and made safe over 4,000 defects and hazards on the road and footpath network so far this year”.