Cork County Council pays out €3.1m in public liability claims, most related to potholes

Council spokesperson said it received 5,338 complaints regarding potholes during the period from June 1, 2025, to July 9, 2026

One person complained to council that several severe potholes in Drimoleague had made the road a hazard as people were trying to avoid the potholes by swerving towards oncoming traffic. Picture: Andy Gibson

Cork County Council paid out €3.1m in public liability claims in the last 12 months, at an average of more than €5,000 a claim, as potholed roads draw the ire of motorists across the county.

In the second half of 2025, 244 public liability claims resulted in €1,220,675 in payouts, while in the first half of 2026, a further 374 claims of €1,916,851 were paid out, according to documents released to the Irish Examiner on foot of a Freedom of Information request.

A council spokesperson said it was its insurers, not the council itself, that pay the claims.

It was previously reported 86% of public liability claims paid out by Cork County Council from the start of 2024 to September 2025 were related to potholes.

The spokesperson said Cork County Council received 5,338 complaints regarding potholes during the period from June 1, 2025, to July 9, 2026.

The 238 complaints about potholes that were made to Cork County Council in May alone were provided to the Irish Examiner.

The Kanturk-Mallow municipal district saw the most pothole complaints, with 59, followed by 47 in West Cork. There were 31 complaints in Macroom, 27 in Carrigaline, 26 in Bandon-Kinsale, 20 in East Cork and 14 in both Fermoy and Cobh.

One person said: “While cycling in the cycle path on the main Douglas Road, I struck a pothole, went over handlebars and hit my head among other injuries. Both an ambulance and gardaí attended.” 

Another said their car had “extensive damage” from a pothole on the Tallow to Dungourney Road, had to be towed when the tyre blew out, and the suspension has been badly damaged.

One wrote the road from Knockburden Cross to Sacrom Cross in the Macroom area was “like driving on the moon”.

Another wrote several severe potholes in Drimoleague had made the road a hazard as people were trying to avoid the potholes by swerving towards oncoming traffic — others also expressed concern people had to drive in the centre of windy roads to avoid potholes, which could cause an accident.

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One person from Macroom said they had reported “a number of potholes a couple of weeks ago, but nothing has been done yet".

“This is unacceptable, as some of these have been there for a number of months,” they wrote.

Another said their report of a pothole on the road from Inchigeelagh to Dunmanway, which damaged their car, “was ignored”.

“I expect to be reimbursed or at least replied to,” they said.