Mayo regional roads being 'discriminated' by lack of funding claims Achill councillor

A MAYO councillor has hit out at the lack of investment for the main road through Achill Island compared to millions spent on the Mulranny to Newport road.

As part of Mayo County Council's 2026 Road Works Programme, €409,500 will be spent on restoration and improvement works on three sections of the R319 in Achill totalling 1.4km. The R319 is approximately 38km long and runs from the Ballycroy Cross in Mulranny to Keem Bay on Achill Island.

Achill-based councillor Paul McNamara told the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District where the Road Works Programme was discussed and told council officials that he was not happy with the allocation of funding for the R319.

“I am not one bit happy how our regional road is being treated compared to the N59 and I raise this every year. I have raised it time and time again, the R319 needs major investment and all we can find is €400,000 to spend on it and €50,000 of that is spent at Keem Bay where 99 percent of the traffic wont be on.

“It is very unfair that the R319 does not get proper investment. The stretch is about 38km of road and all we are putting into it is money to keep ticking over and it is not solving the problem we have on that road. I don't know why they are being discriminated against,” he said.

The Fianna Fáil councillor compared the investment for the R319 with the N59 in the district which he said was receiving almost €2million in 2026 for maintenance on top of €12 million as part of the major realignment of the road between Newport and Derrada. He said that it was not fair on the people who use the R319 every day who he said pay the same tax as people using the N59.

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“The national roads are constantly receiving more money than all the regional roads in the district and let's not speak about the local roads because they are being left behind. Imagine what a €1m could do on a road like that [R319], it would make such a difference. Representation must be made from the district to put money into regional roads which are in dire straits of repair,” he said.

The lack of investment in regional roads was also raised by other councillors in the district with Louisburgh-based councillor Chris Maxwell calling for extra funding for the R335 to Louisburgh while Erris councillors Gerry Coyle and Seán Carey asked for an upgrade of the R312 to Castlebar.

In response Heather Gibbons, Senior Executive Engineer with Mayo County Council said that funding for regional roads comes from the Government and is divided by the Head of Roads in the council throughout the municipal districts.

“We get our share in the municipal district and we divide it out by kilometres of local and regional road. The way the road works programme is presented to you is very fair and transparent and we are working within the budget we are getting from the government,” she said.

Cathaoirleach of the municipal district, Cllr Peter Flynn said the Road Works Programme shows how underfunded local government is in Ireland compared to the level of funding the TII receives for national roads.

Despite the reservations, the Road Works Programme for the municipal district was approved by the local councillors.