Fears for lives as cuts hit road budgets

Fears are growing that lives will be put at risk as cash-strapped county councils put off road maintenance in an effort to keep within their slashed budgets.

As councils put the finishing touches to their 2013 spending plans in the past fortnight, almost all were making cuts in allocations to the upkeep of the regional and local roads under their control.

For most of the areas affected, the reductions will be the third successive year they have had to trim their roads budgets — a trend AA Ireland said was not sustainable.