Collins: 49 roads need urgent work

FUNDING to improve roads in West Cork is abysmal, with 49 roads in West Cork in dire need, a local TD has said.

The Local Improvement Scheme allows for smaller road projects in rural areas to be part funded by local authorities with cooperation and contributions from residents. But Independent Cork South-West TD Michael Collins told a Dáil debate on the Finance Bill 2023 that the funding has not been made available to carry out the works.

‘We know from a recent report brought to Cork County Council that that there are at least 110 so-called non-public roads in the region that are urgently in need of improvement, and we also know that the majority of these are in West Cork,’ said Deputy Collins.

‘To tackle those alone, the Council is saying it would require at least €6m but nowhere close to that level of funding has been provided.
‘As I understand it, 49 of the 110 roads are in the Bantry area (22), Schull (15), Castletownbere (10) and Skibbereen (2).’

He said that because the Local Improvement Scheme does not have adequate funding, that this would result in in massive delays and the continuation of unsafe road surfaces.

‘What will it take before the Government and the Department of Rural and Community Development to wake up and sanction a significantly enhanced budgetary allocation for local roads? People in west Cork are sick and tired of having to wait and wait and wait for basic road repairs from a Government that seems incapable of recognising the urgency of the matter,’ he said.