'Our countys roads could be fixed for just €14m', Daly

For less than 1% of the motor tax collected in the county, a West Cork TD claimed: ‘Our rural roads could be restored.’

Fine Gael’s Cork South West TD, Jim Daly, has written to the 55 members of Cork County Council seeking their support for an initiative, which he claims would ‘drastically improve the current condition of our rural roads.’

The TD has already submitted the proposal – to engage private contractors with mini diggers to clear the dykes and waterways – to management in County Hall and outlined how it could be implemented for less than 1% of the motor tax collect in the county each year.

Mr Daly said: ‘It would half the level of maintenance costs and significantly improve the condition of our roads.’

He claimed the proposal, which has been costed by private contractors, would allow for the clearing of the waterways of 1,000km of roadway each year at a cost of €1.4m, which is the equivalent of 1% of the road tax collected in the county annually. ‘You don’t need a degree in engineering to realise there is no point in continuing to fill potholes and resurface roads, without first clearing water from the roadways.’

Mr Daly had previously submitted the proposal to County Hall, but decided to resubmit it again this year ahead of the budget meeting.

The Cork South TD is calling on the councillors to ‘demand a new way of doing things in County Hall, or else face another winter of discontent.’