South Tipperary Councillors have slammed the Department of the Environment over the county's
funding for local road improvement schemes.
As a response to this members are going to seek a deputation to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government Noel Dempsey.
At a meeting of South Tipperary Co Council the elected members expressed their anger and felt that amount of money,
€104,000 would not go far enough to get most of the projects done.
South Tipperary Co Council Vice Chairman Cllr Michael Fitzgerald said that a grant of
€104,000 out of a pool of €11m was a disgrace. Something should be done to get additional funding.
"We are only getting a miserly sum, barely enough to do one boreen," claimed
Cllr Fitzgerald. It was a pity because the scheme has been very successful in South Tipperary.
Cllr Tom Wood said that additional funding should be sought.
Cllr Denis Landy stated that he fell that the way the money was allocated was unfair.
"We got the third lowest allocation in the country, that is not justified," said Cllr Christy Kinahan who added that South Tipperary was being badly treated compared to other areas of the country.
Cllr Jack Crowe said that there were a number of mountain areas badly in need of work under this scheme, as well as places in and around villages and towns. The amount of funding given won't be able to accommodate all the places that need to be improved.
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"Counties Donegal and Kerry got 10 times the amount South Tipperary got,
I wonder had Deputies (Jackie) Healy Rae and (Tom) Guildea anything to do with that," said Independent Councillor Eddie
O'Meara.
"You were in those places only recently why didn't you ask them," said Fianna
Fáil's Cllr Tom Ambrose in reply.
Cllr Ambrose agreed that the increase for this scheme from the previous year was very small.
He pointed out that there had been a significant increase in the amount of funding for other roads.
"The funding South Tipp got for this is laughable, we are only getting enough this year to
finish what we started last year," said Fianna Fáil's
Cllr Michael Maguire.
Deputy Tom Hayes estimated that it would take 15 years at the current rate to get all the roads done that needed to be done.
Cllr Mattie McGrath said that that he was not happy with the situation, while fellow Fianna
Fáil Councillor Michael Anglim felt the grant was ridiculous and insulting.
South Tipperary Senior Engineer Mr. Michael O'Malley said that the grant was based on the mileage of the number of private roads in the
county. He added the Council had no problem writing to the Department of the Environment voicing the
members demands for extra funding.
Further information from Jarlath Daly at 01-6271594 or 087 72444175, and Pat Ryan at 087 6376663.
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