Transport Minister’s visit ‘cods-wallop’, roads in Cavan ‘atrocious’

The Minister for Transport’s visit to County Cavan last month was “the greatest load of codswallop”, according to one local councillor.

The comments came from Cllr Val Smith (FG) during a meeting of the Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District meeting on Friday when he claimed the visit made no difference whatsoever to the “atrocious condition” of Co Cavan roads.

His comments come as an executive with Cavan County Council revealed a cumulative deficit in roads funding in the county of €25M over a decade.

“We asked him questions that he had already been asked by the Executive of Cavan County Council and he read out the answers to those questions from a bit of paper,” fumed Cllr Smith. “The roads are in such a bad state; there is money for so many things at the moment and yet the roads are getting worse and worse.”

Cllr Smith then highlighted the road from Moynehall to Lavey - a five mile route with two national schools. “The schools are Crubany and Lavey,” continued Cllr Smith.

“When the salting was being done during the frosty weather, just part of that road was salted, meaning that Crubany school was accessible and Lavey school wasn’t. Jaysus, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the roads at all around here. We have to get money from somewhere to fix them because they are only getting worse,” said the frustrated Lavey man.

Cllr Carmel Brady (FG) then said that, while there was “no fault to Eamon Ryan”, she would like to see him out on one of the badly damaged roads in the county so that he could see for himself “how bad things really are”.

“We are living in rural Ireland and the Minister for Transport needs to see the condition of some of the roads on which buses, lorries, agricultural machinery and cars travel every single day of the week,” she continued. “We absolutely must get extra funding for rural roads or we are going to be in serious trouble.”

Aontu’s Sarah O’Reilly then pointed to the new road patcher machines, of which Cavan County Council has two. She said it was her understanding that the machine is most effective in dealing with potholes particularly when used during dry weather conditions.

“There has been a lot of money allocated under the Active Travel budget and it might be possible to secure money from that to carry out necessary works on our roads. The country is awash with money but it’s not being spent in the right places and that is the responsibility of the Government,” she contended.

Cathaoirleach, Cllr Clifford Kelly acknowledged that, were it not for LIS funding last year from Minister Heather Humphreys’ Department “Cavan roads would be in a terrible position altogether”.

Director of Services, Paddy Connaghton, revealed a €2M deficit on roads funding in Co Cavan since last year and a €25M deficit over the last 10 years. Mr Connaghton said it was difficult to get the necessary works done but everyone was endeavouring to do the best they could with the resources they had.