Roads are improved once every 27 years
IS your local road in need of repair? Don’t worry, the Council will be out in about 25 years to repair it, give or take a year or two.
It’s emerged it would take 29 years at the current rate of Government funding to clear the backlog of road repairs in County Sligo.
It would also take 16 years to clear the backlog of roads needing dressing.
That’s according to Sligo County Council Director of Services Tom Kilfeather.
He was reporting on an independent assessment of Sligo’s 2,600kms of roads carried out this winter.
Some 700kms of roads have been rated as being 1- 4 i. e. in poor condition, needing Restoration Improvement Grant type works.
“The ratings are independent. There is a significant backlog of works required out there,” he told Cllr Michael Clarke who raised the issue.
Just under 4 per cent of the non- national road network will be improved this year - “so each road received improvement works once every 27 years” he said.
“When you go back to people and tell them it could be 25 years before their road will be improved, it’s very little consolation to them,” said Cllr Clarke. “We’re in 2017, not 1950,” he added. “Those roads rated 7- 9 ( i. e. in good condition) are going to fall to 1- 6 within the next few years so it’s worse they’re getting,” he said.
“These people are in trucks and tractor - they need good roads more than people in cars on good urban roads,” said Cllr Seamus Kilgannon.
“We’re not treating people equally. Are we going to go back to people five years after we’ve been elected and say ‘ We tried and failed’?” he asked the other councillors.
“It is an absolute crisis what’s out there now and nobody’s listening to us,” he said.
Cllr Thomas Healy said: “We need to come up with a Programme of Works and then go to the Minister. Nobody should be denied access to their own home.”
Cllr Margaret Gormley said Sligo people were paying all taxes and “getting absolutely nothing in return.”
“It’s an absolute scandal what’s happening to people in rural areas,” she said.
Cllr Paul Taylor said people in rural Sligo were “living on scraps from the Department.”
“We will touch 3 per cent of roads in the Ballymote- Tubbercurry area. We’re not going to get anywhere without working together. I think it’s a good motion,” he said.
Cllr Clarke’s motion called on the Council to apply to the Department for further funds for county roads as only 1 per cent of them will be improved this year.