Department ‘playing games’ over flooding funding

Anton McNulty

THE Department of Transport have been accused of ‘playing games’ over the criteria for  flood-relief funding for damaged-road repairs.
Achill-based councillor Paul McNamara was speaking at last week’s monthly meeting the West Mayo Municipal District after it was emerged that only roads submerged in water for a period of weeks will avail of emergency funding.
Officials of Mayo County Council informed the members that the county received €5 million from the Department of Transport to repair roads affected by the winter floods. The Council was also allocated €10 million by the Department as part of the normal funding system for roads in the county.
Padraig Walsh, Senior Engineer with the Council, explained that the department had specified the type of flood damage which could avail of funding.
“The roads to be allocated funding from the Department of Transport are submerged roads that have been significantly damaged by floods. They would have to been under water for a period of time. It is not for roads that have deteriorated in the normal way we all understand happens in wet weather. This is for more significantly damaged roads,” he explained.
Mayo County Council had submitted an application for funding of €7.6 million and the Department allocated a fund of €5 million. Mr Walsh explained that the money will be spent on repair and prevention work, and he hopes there will be a second tranche of funding.
The allocation to the West Mayo District will be in the region of €1.4 million.
Cllr McNamara felt that the criteria did not take into account all the damage wrought by the weather.
“The Department is playing games. It has not stopped raining for months. The flash floods in September have destroyed a lot of the work that has already been done. Is that work that has to be done again included in the money?” he asked.
Mr Walsh explained that the extra money was for repairs, which will be supplemented by funding in the normal roadworks scheme, which he believes will become available in March.
A number of the roads affected by the weather are non-public roads which do not qualify for funding under the normal roadworks scheme. Councillors claimed that these roads were important to people living near them but Mr Walsh explained that the Department specified that funding cannot be spent on them.
Cllr McNamara argued that without extra funding these roads will continue to deteriorate. “Since I started in the Council [in 2014] there are 12 applications live at the moment and there is not a chance of them being done in three years. Never mind what will be added to that. If it is not done it will get out of control.”
Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle said there has to be other ways of getting these roads repaired and suggested they look at the Community Involvement Scheme for solutions.
“This is surely a way of getting the jobs done on roads which are badly needed for locals and visitors alike. What is stopping us from doing it?” he asked.
Cllr Tereasa McGuire said they needed to prioritise the projects that were the worse affected and claimed it was no good ‘throwing good money after bad’.