Homeowners to help fund roads

THE Government has been criticised for making homeowners applying for Local Improvement Schemes (LIS) contribute 10-15% towards the cost of their road upgrade.

Councillor Thomas Healy said such residents were “paying on the double” when they were already paying motor tax.

He was commenting on a motion tabled by Cllr Michael Clarke calling on the Council to give priority to roads where people with a disability lived, roads with occupied homes and roads with no homes in to farms.

He was supported by Cllrs Paul Taylor and Margaret Gormley. Cllr Healy said contributing towards the road upgrade was “grand if there’s a good few houses but harder if there was only one or two houses.”

Cllr Marie Casserly said she thought people “would be quite happy to pay 10% if they’re getting a new road.” Sligo County Council received just under ¤300,000 this year in LIS grants and expects more funding next year.