Little Island businesses give Government roads deadline 

One of the photographs of the large holes in the road at Courtstown in Little Island.  Picture: Michael Mulcahy

Businesses in the largest industrial hub outside Dublin have given a deadline to local and national government that they intend to withhold a proportion of their rates from June 1 and use the money to start fixing appalling roads in their area.

In the meantime, the body representing the businesses in Little Island, Co Cork, is to host a meeting next month to which local and national politicians will be invited to listen to some of the 1,000 companies in the area about the roads infrastructure.

It is especially poor on the southern side of Little Island where a number of older industrial estates are located. 

Little Island Business Association chief executive Michael Mulcahy said representatives from the executive of Cork County Council and Irish Water will also be invited to the meeting, “the purpose of which is to fully explain the serious situation to all parties and to ask them for their full engagement to find an immediate, practical and workable solution to the problem before June 1.”

He said that, if by that time a practical and workable solution has not been found, businesses in the affected areas will start rebuilding the roads, and retain 7.5% of their combined commercial rates for the 2023 year.

Mr Mulcahy said the payment of commercial rates to a local authority entitles businesses to fair and safe access to do business in an area.

He said Little Island is governed by a local authority and as Cork County Council is the local authority issuing commercial rates invoices to businesses, this is the entity that has responsibility for providing fair and safe access to allow business be conducted in Little Island.

“The section of road that needs urgent attention is in Courtstown” Mr Mulcahy said.

The cost of reinstatement of this road and its services is in the region of €250,000.

He said Irish Water has a legal obligation to reinstate this road once they have completed the transfer of owner-ship from the existing Harbour Point Management Company Limited whose ownership the road is currently in.

The problem with some of the areas badly affected is the roads are legacies from failed and abandoned management and development companies and are not in the charge of the council.

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One company estimated €5,000 in damage was done to employees’ cars in recent weeks due to potholes. A 6ft deep pothole opened on one road last year.