Motorists’ lives at risk ‘because councils can’t afford to grit roads’

CASH-STRAPPED local authorities are in dire need of funding to grit dangerous roads as the big freeze yesterday claimed another life and left many seriously injured.

As forecasters predict icy conditions will continue for at least another week, Fine Gael warned that the Government had to tackle the problem as a matter of urgency.

The party’s road safety spokesman, Shane McEntee, claimed councils were not adequately gritting roads because they had run out of money.