Cork motorists ‘subsidising’ repairs elsewhere

A Fine Gael TD says “a gross injustice has been perpetuated by successive governments” on motorists in Cork who are subsidising road repairs in other counties while they watch their own crumble.

Jim Daly is in discussions with the Department of Environment to provide what he claims will be a better road maintenance service to Cork motorists after they coughed up €130m in road tax last year, 12.25% of the national take.

Yet when it came to payback from the Government for road maintenance, Cork received just 8.4% of national funding — meaning it is subsidising other counties, according to Mr Daly.

He said he has held discussions with private contractors who are willing, on a permanent basis, to maintain roadside drainage for €700 per km annually.

Mr Daly said this was a very competitive rate and as the council simply doesn’t have the necessary outdoor staff to undertake such work, it would make a noticeable difference in maintaining the county’s 10,320km of roads, many of which are in a critical state.

“The contractors, which will typically involve a crew of a mini-digger, a skip dumper, and a general operative, will be tasked with cutting verges, clearing clogged-up water courses, and clearing the sod and debris from the roadside drains,” he said.

Unions would have to give their support for this move for it to go ahead.

“I am confident of getting support for this proposal provided we get the necessary assurances from County Hall that the money will be ringfenced for the maintenance works outlined in my proposal,” Mr Daly said.

He added that inadequate drainage on roads was costing serious money in repairs and said this was a way of addressing it.

Mr Daly said he fully supports the call by Cork County Council to have the money collected in motor tax in the county to be spent in the county.

“I have conducted a study of the money collected from motor tax and the subsequent allocations from the Department of the Environment to all of the city, county, and town councils in Cork. There is no doubt but Cork motorists are subsidising other local authorities.”

He said he would raise this issue with the environment minister in the Dáil in the coming week.