Dempsey: No pot of gold for road repair

TRANSPORT Minister Noel Dempsey last night insisted no extra money would be given to repair roads wrecked by the Arctic weather snap – despite estimates the damage could run into hundreds of millions of euro.

Mr Dempsey faced down pleas for emergency aid as he came under heavy fire from opposition TDs who accused him and other ministers of “going AWOL” during the weather crisis.

Appearing before the Oireachtas Transport Committee Mr Dempsey rejected demands for emergency financing of roads left badly damaged by the thaw, insisting he “did not have a pot of gold”.