Secondary Roads Are 'Disgraceful'

“The state of Co. Wexfords non-national (or country roads) is now an emergency issue, especially so, following the recent snow which has left rural roads in bits,” according to Cllr Fionntan Ó Suilleabháin, speaking at the March meeting of Wexford County Council.

“The state of our secondary roads is disgraceful with urgent need not just for maintenance, but for total reconstruction of many secondary roads,” he claimed.

Director of Services, Eamonn Hore, confirmed that Co. Wexford was second worst in the NOAC (National Oversight and Audit Committee) report luanched in January and made for shocking reading in relation to the countys roads in comparison to other counties.

Cllr Ó Suilleabháin said Wexford County Council has contributed significantly from its own resources towards its lengthy non-national/country roads network, and has not reduced the local element of funding, not withstanding the recession.

“This government and the former Fianna Fáil one before it, slashed roads funding in County Wexford by a massive 45% – amounting to over €40 million over recent years,” said the Sinn Fein representative for Gorey District, who added; “In 2014, for example, Wexford County Council contributed 40% of the total spend on non-national/country roads from its own resources – a figure much higher than other counties.”

Roads surveys in this state over the past 20 years rank Wexford and Donegal lowest in all four road categories in terms of roads “needing reconstruction” – the most serious road condition and the costliest form of road repair.

In the 2011, Condition Survey on Regional Roads, County Wexford was ranked worst in Ireland in terms of the % of regional road requiring reconstruction at 27.8%. Yet we’re not receiving an extra cent in roads funding.This is now an emergency if we want to avoid major structural failure of the non-national network in the county-which would be far costlier in the long run.

Cllr Ó Suilleabháin added that the ‘surface dressing cycle’ which forms the basic level of maintenance and safety requirement has gone from the recommended 1 in 8 years to an incredible 1 in 42.4 years! “This is a disgrace in the 21st century.”

“However, the fault doesn’t lie with Wexford County Council, who are doing their best with very limited resources. It lies with successive governments who have starved this County Wexford of roads funding.”

Cllr Ó Suilleabháin is calling on Wexford County Council to outline his views to the relevant Department and has promised “unanimous, cross-party backing, by us here, to make the case for extra funding”

Councillors need to be also asking the local junior ministers and TDs to arrange such a meeting.