Council receives extra funding to cover winter damage

Council receives extra funding to cover winter damage


Anton McNulty

Mayo County Council has received a grant of nearly €300,000 to cover the cost of the damage to water pipes as a result of the severe winter weather conditions.
The grant of €296,000 which was allocated to Mayo by the Department of the Environment is part of a €9 million supplementary fund to assist local authorities in meeting the exceptional costs associated with the recent severe winter weather conditions.
In Mayo, the weather caused considerable damage to the infrastructure in the county with the sub-zero temperatures freezing water pipes which cracked following the thaw.
The funding was welcomed by Fianna FΡil TD Dara Calleary who said the additional funding would be a considerable boost to Mayo County Council in repairing the damage.
“A total of €9 million is being provided nationally, with Mayo securing a large chunk of that funding. This is a major boost to Mayo County Council which has worked tirelessly to repair the damage caused by the heavy snow and quick thaw this winter. I want to pay tribute to the local authority staff who went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure our roads were as safe as possible during the unprecedented weather over Christmas, and continued that work to repair any damage caused.
“This resulted in exceptional costs for the council at a time when finances are already constrained.  I know the matter was a cause of great concern for council officials and I am delighted that they have now been provided such a significant funding boost. I wish to thank Minister [Éamon] Ó Cuív [Minister for the Environment] for his commitment to this issue,” concluded Minister Calleary.
A spokesperson for Mayo County Council told The Mayo News that they had applied for funding from the Department for damage caused to the water infrastructure and this funding will go some way in recouping them.