Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey will consider making people legally bound to clear snow and ice from the front of their homes and businesses, he revealed today.
Despite the Government coming under severe criticism for its response to recent freezing weather, he also insisted the exact same would be done again in an attempt to keep the country moving if hit by another extended cold spell.
“If we had a similar type spell of bad weather, the gritting that was done by the local authorities would be done exactly the same again the next time around,” he told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport today.
“The roads that weren’t gritted this time won’t be gritted the next time either, because of the prioritisation [local authorities] have to make, because of the resources and manpower.”
Mr Dempsey said he was considering bringing in legislation to make property owners responsible for keeping adjoining paths and roadways safe during freezing temperatures.
He told the committee on the official response to the extended cold spell there was a need to clarify laws around liability and negligence in relation to keeping throughways clear.
“I would be interested in the views of the committee as to whether we should positively legislate for making people responsible for keeping the footpaths outside of their own premises clear,” he said. “It’s something I think will definitely have to be considered, without any liability if somebody has an accident.”
Defending the Government’s reaction, Mr Dempsey said despite the calling together of an emergency response co-ordination committee on January 7th there was no national emergency. Responsibility lay with local authorities and would continue to do so in similar situations, he insisted.
Mr Dempsey said it was their priority to keep national primary, national secondary and important local roads open, and they needed to constantly revise their priorities in line with changed circumstances.
With some areas having transformed over the past decade, there was a need for local and county councils should be revising their gritting plan, he said.
Labour’s transport spokesman Tommy Broughan said the public was “incandescent with anger” at Mr Dempsey’s
performance during the adverse weather conditions. “Your performance in this has been deplorable and would be a resignation matter in many countries.”
He said 10,000 people were still suffering fractures sustained around the country on treacherous roads and pathways. "They will carry those injuries - those Dempsey fractures - for the next how many years?” he said.
Mr Dempsey described Mr Broughan’s comments as “a lot of political hoo-ha".