Review of salting routes

Monaghan County Council is currently reviewing its winter maintenance programme. The news was confirmed at the February meeting of the Council after Cllr Seán Conlon, requested all roads serving schools be gritted in freezing conditions.

He mentioned, for example, schools like Garron and Corracrin national schools, be given around 100m of coverage in their vicinity.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) said there is also an issue with some roads, which go from one Municipal District area into another, where in some instance part of a road is salted but the remainder isn’t.

Fine Gael’s Peter Conlon said he had received calls from a rural school where children are falling while crossing the road in freezing conditions.

Cllr Paul Gibbons (SF) called for all Local Link routes in the county to be salted, stating that these services provide important accessibility for people with no other means of transport.

Director of Transport Services Nial O’Connor confirmed that the local authority is currently reviewing its winter maintenance routes, taking into consideration the location of major employers, schools and Local Link services and looking at gaps in coverage.

Cathaoirleach P J O’Hanlon (FF) suggested the council ascertain the costs involved and make a specific funding request to the Department.

Mr O’Connor said the Council would use the information gathered in its review as the basis of a funding application. The outcome of the review would be presented to the Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Transport around June, he added.