Safety works on hold at the Monument
PUT to engineer Neville Shaw, Cllr Malcolm Byrne asked about roundabout works and road safety at the Monument in Gorey, which he explained has been causing traffic problems for people locally.
‘We generally agreed a road safety plan in that area and our plans are being held up. It’s causing an inconvenience for people,’ said Cllr Byrne.
Neville Shaw said that his team has been waiting on Irish Water to undertake works following the installation of mains there, but that there was no indication as of yet as to when this would be done.
‘It is very much on the agenda, but part of the agreement was for Irish Water to fill holes and do the work involved in fixing it,’ he said.
Cllr Donohoe asked whether in the future there could be a different arrangement made so that roads being worked on would be repaired again in a set time frame after the works.
‘If Irish Water are delaying this in terms of fixing back up what the tore up, in future, we need some guaranteed time line that the road will be put back by such a date. Can that be carried forward,’ he said.
Cllr Byrne said that Irish Water are ‘clearly working beyond normal schedules’ on this, and he suggested that councillors do more than just raise it, suggesting working to see if action can be taken against Irish Water.
Neville Shaw described the general road management system with Irish Water as ‘convoluted’.
‘Up until recently we could set our owns fees and conditions and can still set conditions but it’s quite convoluted. Irish Water have a large sum of money that would be put in for reinstatement and we would have to claim from that.
‘We can start looking at drawing down the cost of reinstating that road as they are very slow to do that work on their own behalf. But it is something that needs to be resolved,’ said Neville.
Cllr Diarmuid Devereux said that down the road when things smooth over that people should be consulted as a ‘communication mechanism around this’ was needed.