A former Mayor of Clare claims the county is “going backwards” when it comes to adequately funding roads maintenance.
Shannon Municipal District’s elected representatives are the latest to condemn the proposed funding for their area’s municipal district works programme, after seeing their allocation slashed.
It’s the last of this county’s municipal districts to hold a special meeting to discuss roads funding for the coming year.
At the meeting, councillors have heard that €2.92 million is the proposed funding for Shannon’s programme this year, which is 7% below the 2024 figure and accounts for just 10% of the total budget.
It’s also the smallest allocation of any MD in Clare.
The Municipal District Works programme budget applies to works on regional roads and while Shannon has the second-smallest share of roads of this type, the argument has been made that its roads are some of the most heavily-trafficked.
Sixmilebridge Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe says while the network has improved over the past 25 years, Shannon’s roads funding needs to be going up instead of down.
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The meeting has also heard that due to funding constraints, staffing levels within the Roads Department with respect to Shannon may have to be examined.
It’s been confirmed, however, that the municipal district intends to proceed with its plans revealed last year to hire four additional staff in the Shannon area, with two already hired and a further two to be appointed imminently.
Newmarket-on-Fergus Fianna Fáil Councillor David Griffin says having an adequate level of staff is crucial due to the importance of proper maintenance to the public.
