Varadkar says ‘only fraction’ of councils’ €417m road budget is spent

Local authorities have spent just a fraction of the €417 million provided by the Government to fix potholed rural and county roads, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil.

“I understand only a fraction of that has been spent,” he told Independent Tipperary TD, Michael Lowry, one of a number of Deputies to complain about the condition of damaged road.

“I understand the weather has been bad and they have not been able to get crews out but the weather is now improving, long evenings are coming and I expect local authorities to get out there, do that work and spend that money,” he said.

Problems with road conditions were raised with him “everywhere” he went over the Easter break in Limerick, Galway, Tipperary, Laois, Meath, Kildare and north County Dublin, he said.

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“Many such roads are in very bad condition: there are many potholes and ruts and many vehicles are being damaged,” he went on, blaming spending cuts “during the dark years of the recession – the lost decade” and bad weather.

The Government is considering extra money to fix storm damage and has asked local authorities to come forward with plans, he told TDs, as they resumed after the Easter recess.

“ Some have done so and others have not but before we make that additional allocation I would like local authorities to spend the €417 million – €90 million more than last year – that they have been allocated,” he declared.

He agreed with Independent TD Michael Lowry that many roads were in very bad condition with potholes and ruts,and as a result vehicles were being damaged.

Allocation

Mr Varadkar said that local authorities had told him the allocation for regional roads had not been spent because they had “not been able to get out on the roads to repair them because of the bad weather”.

Mr Lowry, who raised the issue during leaders’ questions, said people in his Tipperary constituency “are incensed and furious at the neglect and abandonment of some rural roads”.

And he warned that if the Government wanted to get re-elected “they must address the lack of funding for roads”.

Mr Lowry said that the Government had been “competent and capable” in raising awareness about Storms Ophelia, Eleanor and Brian and the unprecedented levels of rainfall, snow and frost.

But he said “the follow-up has been less than impressive”.

It was inevitable that the storms would have consequences for the roads but the level of deterioration was “alarming”.

Mr Lowry said “an extraordinary response is required and must be funded” because the roads were “virtually undervalue”. They were hazardous, dangerous, obstacle courses and were affecting school buses, dairy collection services, An Post deliveries, bin collections and ambulance services.

Council officials

But the Taoiseach said Mr Lowry and everyone should ask council officials how much money had been spent this year on roads.

The bad weather had prevented work on the roads but it was time for councils to get into action and “in the meantime the Government will work on additional funding following the storms”.

Mr Lowry said Tipperary County Council needed €197 million to repair 3,000km of rural roads. He pointed out that 10 years ago the allocation for regional roads was €608 million and this year’s €417 million was a drop of €200 million.

“Seven years ago, Tipperary was allocated €45 million for its roads. This year, it will receive €23.3 million, less than half that amount,” he said, “An urgent, coherent and orchestrated response by the Government is needed.

“It is not sufficient to say there has been an increase in allocation. It is abundantly clear that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport will not be able to provide the necessary funds.”