Around The Country

DUBLIN: Dublin CIty Council said last night it was managing road treatment “within the resources available” and will continue…

DUBLIN:Dublin CIty Council said last night it was managing road treatment "within the resources available" and will continue to do so. It said an average of 500 tonnes of salt are spread annually and that more than 1,600 tonnes have been used in the past three weeks. "A local co-ordination centre has been set up in the Traffic Control Centre in Civic Offices, Wood Quay, through which Dublin City Council, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and Dublin Bus can co-ordinate their actions directly over the coming days," it said.

CORK:Cork County Council issued a warning to all motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary, as the council cannot guarantee it will have enough rock salt to grit all major roads amid forecasts that heavy snow will fall at the weekend. It said gritting teams had been operating on all national routes passing through the county, but that gritting of non-national county roads may be affected by salt shortages. – BARRY ROCHE

WEST:Emergency water supplies have been rolled out by Galway County Council in a number of areas as the weather continues to put severe pressure on public and group distribution systems in both city and county. Both local authorities confirmed to The Irish Times that they had enough rock salt for road gritting until Monday only. Galway City Council is to work with residents' organisations to grit roads and footpaths in housing estates. – LORNA SIGGINS

MIDLANDS:Freezing fog, icy rural roads and water shortages continue to cause problems in many parts of the midlands. Local authorities are working to keep roads clear and provide a continuous water supply. Laois County Council is planning to provide grit to community groups in coming days. In Westmeath, council officials believe they may have to grit roads without salt from next week. – EOGHAN MacCONNELL

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SOUTHEAST:Driving conditions continue to be extremely difficult, especially on secondary roads in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Tipperary. Mayor of Kilkenny city Malcolm Noonan said the Army was "on standby". He appealed to the public to help by clearing footpaths and by calling on the elderly. In Clonmel, Co Tipperary, the council used two 1,000 litre tankers to provide water where supply had been disrupted.

MAYO:Mayo County Council has made available stockpiles of grit in strategic locations for ice-locked communities. County secretary John Condon said yesterday the authority only had resources to grit national and some secondary routes. Water supplies in the Achill and Curraun areas of west Mayo were also under pressure, and the council has warned that rationing will have to be imposed if consumers do not conserve water. – TOM SHIEL

SLIGO/LEITRIM:Twenty troops from Finner camp in Co Donegal will deploy across Co Leitrim from this morning gritting footpaths in towns and villages. The council said it had salt for four to five days and as well as treating primary and secondary routes would prioritise hardship cases to facilitate funerals or visits by doctors, public health nurses or home helps. Sligo County Council said it had received more salt yesterday. – MARESE McDONAGH

DONEGAL:National Roads Authority weather stations at Burt, Ballybofey, Killygordon and Gaoth Dobhair predicted some of the coldest temperatures on record with forecasts for midnight last night of -10 to -8 degrees. Donegal County Council is "prioritising" 1,200km of primary, secondary and regional roads. It is dispatching gritting lorries, where possible, to other non-prioritised areas in hardship cases. – LINDA McGRORY