Kerry road maintenance to suffer as funding cut

The road system in Kerry is unlikely to be maintained to an acceptable level this year, due to council funds being slashed by €22m.

Yesterday, councillors said help may be needed from abroad for the upkeep of some roads in the county.

The takings this summer from the tourist car park in Dingle will also be examined, to see if there will be enough to resurface one of the main streets.

Overall funding is down from €62.5m last year to just €40.6m for 2013.

The council’s head of the roads programme, Charlie O’Sullivan, said: “It is getting harder and harder to deliver the service with the funds we are getting.”

Just 2% of Kerry’s roads would be resurfaced or overlaid he said, adding the temporary measure of pothole filling would continue.

The hardest cuts, he said, fell on the regional and local road network. “This kind of cut on virtually the entire road system in Kerry will impact directly on the local economy, with plant hire and quarry owners along with seasonal workers all losing out,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

He said no seasonal workers would be hired this year.

For the first time also, he said, no money had been allocated for pavement overlay works on national primary routes.

Cllr Paul O’Donoghue (FF) said all the good work of the past 15 years was being lost. He suggested the council make an urgent application by way of the Atlantic Way project to the European Commission for funding for viewing points and other works.

Séamus Cosaí Fitzgerald (FG) asked the council to look into the takings of the summer public car parks in Dingle to repair the streets.

Cllr Robert Beasley (SF) said the roads and mountains of Afghanistan were better than those around Ballybunion.

When it came to getting into Kerry, the An Bord Pleanála decision not to allow the Adare bypass in Co Limerick was a severe blow, Cllr Toireasa Ferris said.

Mr O’Sullivan said the Adare refusal had been “a disastrous decision” for Kerry and one which had left him “dumbfounded”.

Among the roads highlighted were:

* The surface on the N22 between the Park Rd roundabout and Lissivigeen was unravelling.

* The deplorable state of the road between Lisselton, where president Bill Clinton made an impromptu stop during his official visit.

* Doon to Tarbert road was a “scandalous disgrace”.

* Large pothole near Banna Strand —“a hovercraft” was needed to get over it.

* John’s St to Marian Park, Dingle town was said to be in a desperate state.

* Sections of the Ring of Kerry roads between Killarney and Caherdaniel.