Carey raised issue of Clare road funding directly with Minister for Transport
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has had a frank exchange with Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey in Dáil Éireann regarding road funding in County Clare.
During the Dáil exchange this week, Deputy highlighted the fact that many roads in Clare are in a very poor state of repair.
He also pressed the Minister on funding models and raised the issue of Clare County Council carrying out much of its roads work in the later half of the year.
Deputy Carey has consistently raised this issue in recent months, following figures he received showing that close to 40% of road funding had not been accessed by October this year.
In recent weeks, Deputy Carey understands that adverse weather conditions have hampered the ability of Clare County Council to carry out much needed road works.
Had the majority of the work been carried out earlier in the year, when the weather was better and days longer, this situation could have been avoided.
Deputy Carey said:
“I travelled throughout County Clare over the weekend and there are potholes everywhere. The road from Ennis to Milltown Malbay is decimated. I want to know if the Minister intends to provide exceptional funding this year, in line with what he did last year, to allow county councils throughout the country fix the roads.”
In response, Minister Dempsey said the primary responsibility for providing the funding for county and regional roads rests with the local authorities.
With regard to the fact that Clare County Council left much of their road works until the later half of the year, Minister Dempsey said:
“I would prefer local authorities to get road works finished by the end of October, which is appropriate, and then rush to get claims in, than to have them wasting time submitting claims and not getting the work done, or doing it too late in the year.”
Deputy Carey has also written to County Manager Tom Coughlan asking for clarification about the extent to which the road budget was accessed last year, how much funding was not claimed, and when the Council intends to carry out necessary emergency road works.
Below is a link to the Dail exchanges: