Extra cash injection for Monaghan roads but more needed

The Department of Transport has backed Monaghan County Council’s new road maintenance strategy with an additional allocation of funding.

Chief Executive Robert Burns told the April Council meeting that the Department has confirmed an additional €950,000 to spend on the strategy, for which the Council has already provided €450,000 in its annual budget. He viewed it as positive that the council has received a 2:1 funding commitment from the Department and hopes this continues as this is a five-year strategy.

However, Mr Burns cautioned that rising costs are likely to impact on this year’s planned roadworks programme. Responding to queries from the elected members, he said that works currently being procured will be at a higher cost due to increased input and energy costs.

“The budgets may not go as far as in previous years,” the Chief Executive stated.

He reminded members that the Council has received a regional and local roads allocation of €17.231M for this year. There is a total of €1.4M in additional Department funding, the €450,000 from their own resources for the strategy, and the €6M in general roads funding, which accounted for a quarter of their overall budget.

On last year’s costs, it has been estimated it will take €33M to bring their regional and local roads up to fair standard.

“While I take the point that we need more, we also need to do more ourselves,” Mr Burns stated. “I am hoping that when we are seen to be contributing, more will come to us.”

He said the need for additional roads funding was raised at a recent meeting between the Council’s Corporate Policy Group members and the Oireachtas representatives for Cavan/Monaghan, as this case needs to be made at central government level.

The Chief Executive added that there are plans to link in with Cavan County Council and local authorities in Northern Ireland on strategic road improvement needs.

The Cathaoirleach, Cllr P.J. O’Hanlon (FF) highlighted how his own Carrickmacross-Castleblayney Municipal District area needs €4M in roads funding per annum to stand still and this year got €2.2 million.

“We are getting less money in 2026 than we were in 2013,” he said. “The Government has failed 100% in relation to roads funding in my view,” said the Fianna Fáil man.

Replying to Cllr Richard Truell (FG), Director of Transportation Services Nial O’Connor said the additional Department funding will be distributed across the county’s three Municipal Districts.

Cllr Noel Keelan (SF) branded the additional Department funding “a pittance”, declaring that the county was in a crisis in relation to roads.

The Cathaoirleach said that, while he welcomed the additional finance, Cllr Keelan was absolutely right. If costs have gone up by 25%, this means 25% less roads will be done this year.

“The Government needs to do something,” he insisted.

Cllr Pat Treanor (SF) said roads in the Ballybay/Clones MD area are in an atrocious state following recent bad weather. “With farmers out beginning to work in the fields, we need to get the potholes filled,” he urged, pointing out that 40% of the county’s roads are located in Ballybay/Clones.