Cleaning road signs would detract from other areas

Grimy road signs across the Bailieborough-Cootehill Municipal District are being left languish - and it’s not by accident. Cleaning them, councillors have been bluntly told, would mean reallocating workers from more urgent, high-stakes jobs like fixing dangerous potholes and maintaining roads.

The uncompromising response came from Senior Engineer Clinton Mulligan, when pressed on the issue by Sinn Féin councillor Stiofán Conaty when local councillors met in Cootehill recently.

Cllr Conaty had questioned who is responsible for the cleaning dirt-caked signs that many say are a “poor reflection” on the local authority, while pushing back against any notion that communities should step in to pick up the slack.

“If it’s county council property, it’s unfair to expect communities to look after it,” said Cllr Conaty, while also acknowledging the reality of stretched resources.

The engineer agreed without hesitation: signage maintenance is the council’s “responsibility”. But with limited staff and funding, tough choices had be made.

“There is a priority list,” he said plainly. “Right now, that priority is potholes and road maintenance.”

Even the idea of outsourcing sign cleaning hit a financial wall.

“It comes down to funding,” warned Mr Mulligan. “If a decision is made to do this, it will be at the expense of other essential work.”

While the council does replace signs that have reached the end of their lifespan, routine cleaning is another matter entirely. Communities may be invited to work in partnership with the council to wipe down signs located in well-lit, accessible urban areas, but Mr Mulligan made clear: “I’m not suggesting people go out and clean signs in remote areas.”

When Cllr Conaty asked about submitting a list of the worst-affected signs, Mr Mulligan replied “Definitely”!