Cork councillors criticise 'peanuts' Government funding for road maintenance and repairs

Allocation at the same level the council received in 2008

Councillors described funding allocation as 'a sad day for Cork motorists'. Picture: Larry Cummins

Cork County Council has received less Government funding for road maintenance and upgrading than it did last year.

The allocation is the same level the council received in 2008.

News of the “peanuts” €70m allocation was outlined in a report to councillors, who described it as “a sad day for Cork motorists”.

Niall Healy, the council’s director of roads and transportation, said €70.199m had been allocated to the council for this year, a 1.6% decline from the €71.34m allocated last year. 

“We need more money and we want more money. We've a legacy of underinvestment in Cork roads. The reality is we're at a critical stage. Urgent action is required,” Mr Healy said.

He added having a good quality road network was an essential building block for attracting inward investment.

“It’s highly disappointing, frustrating and discouraging,” Mr Healy said of the allocation.

Independent councillor Declan Hurley said the report did not make for pleasant reading.

“We’re getting peanuts from the Department [of Transport]. We've roads crumbling in West Cork. There should be an NCT on the roads to test their safety,” he said.

Mr Hurley criticised Transport Minister Eamon Ryan for failing to meet the council on the underfunding issue, despite requests for him to do so for the past three years.

Jack Chambers, the junior minister for transport, has agreed to meet a deputation of councillors and their officials in Dublin on April 24 to discuss their concerns.

Mr Healy also said the council had sought €26m in special funding this year for repairs to roads and bridges following last October’s Storm Babet. To date, the Government has committed to just half of that.

Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Carroll said Kerry was getting more than €10,000 per kilometer of road and Limerick €11,000, compared to Cork's €6,000.

“If we got parity with Limerick, we'd be getting an extra €47m this year. The people of Co Cork are getting shortchanged,” he said.

Social Democrats councillor Chris Heinhold pointed out that in reality the Government allocation was less than 2008 because inflation meant it was far more costly to repair roads now compared to 16 years ago.

Mr Healy said since 2008, allocations had dropped. The lowest was about €30m in 2016, but they had increased again in recent years.

He said if they had been kept at the 2008 level, the council would have received an additional €273m in the interim to maintains its 12,000km of roads.