·         Motion No. 04.18 from Cllr. Naughten

·         Motion No. 05.18 from Cllr. Ward

04.18    IRISH WATER

                Notice of Motion from Councillor Naughten

That Roscommon County Council request an update from Irish Water as to the investment requirement for upgrade of Monksland Waste Water Treatment Plant and when this investment will take place.

As Cllr. Naughten was not present to move the motion, and had not requested another member to move it in his absence, the motion is withdrawn and shall be referred to the next meeting.

05.18     FUNDING FOR ROADS

                Notice of Motion from Councillor Ward

I am calling on the Minister for Local Government, Mr. Eoghan Murphy TD and the Minister for Finance Mr. Paschal Donohoe TD, to provide extra funding for roads in County Roscommon that have been severely damaged due to bad weather conditions in recent months.

                Reply:  This Notice requires a resolution of the Council.

Cllr. Ward informed the meeting that he has never seen the local roads in South Roscommon in such a bad state of disrepair.  Roads that were resurfaced in the last four years now need a complete overlay as travel on these roads is near impossible due to the potholes and craters.  Since 2008 funding from the Government has been reduced by 40% leaving a road network that is not fit for purpose.  He has estimated road works at a cost of €1.5m – €2.0m are required to bring the network in South Roscommon up to an acceptable standard.  The current budget is less than €500k leaving a considerable shortfall.   

On the  PROPOSAL of Councillor Ward

SECONDED by Councillor Kilduff

It was AGREED to write to the Minister for Local Government, Mr. Eoghan Murphy TD and the Minister for Finance Mr. Paschal Donohoe TD, to provide extra funding for roads in County Roscommon that have been severely damaged due to bad weather conditions in recent months.

Members made the following comments:

·         General Municipal road allocation for South Roscommon is not on a par with other two Municipal Districts.

·         Problem not isolated to local roads, some regional roads require works also.

·         What is the situation with potholes not being repaired following reports of same to relevant office?  Is there a staffing issue, should we be going out to contract?

·         Poor roads prove hazardous to emergency services.

·         Need to look at the gradient on these roads as it is believed that the proper gradient is not being put in and water is lodging on the roads.

·         Funding came too late last year to carry out road works.

·         The problem with roads is county wide, not just South Roscommon.  Roads surfaced last year have started to unravel again.

·         Substantial number of local roads are in need of repairs - Are there plans to recruit additional staff for maintenance of local roads or are there plans to contract out these works to get roads up to standard as quickly as possible?

CE Responded as follows:

Mr. Eugene Cummins, CE acknowledged that the roads in the county are in bad state of disrepair.  The long winter together with current weather is not conducive to making good repairs.  He agreed that money came too late last year but that will be rectified this year with more timely allocation of funding.  He also acknowledged the need more funding and we should look for it.  He advised members that he will ask each Municipal District Co-ordinator to give a report at next M.D. Meeting outlining the number of roads in need of repair, the number of complaints on hand and their ability or otherwise to carry out these repairs.  In the meantime, the CE said he will discuss the matter further with Mr. Eugene Dwyer, Head of Roads.  In relation to the allocation of funds between Municipal Districts, the CE advised that the Executive will look at how funds are allocated next year. 

Repairs will be carried out in the most efficient way possible and advised that he has committed to some additional staff.  Presently overlays are carried out by Contractors and complimented staff who are more effective at repairing potholes.  The sheer number and scale of the problem we have is unprecedented.  The financial resources we have are limited so we will be looking for solutions to ensure safety is a priority for motorists.  He reminded road users to be careful and cautious over the next couple weeks and asked for their patience as we deal with potholes. 

Community Involvement Scheme

Cllr Creighton queried why the Scheme appears to penalise groups who are willing to do the work themselves.  There does not appear to be an incentive for people to carry out the works themselves.  The CE advised that he was not aware of the details of the scheme but would investigate it further and bring any anomaly to the attention to the Department for correction.