Rural Mayo will be frost bound if council doesn't loosen purse strings - McNamara

Severe winter weather is on the way and people in rural area of Mayo will be confined to their houses if the council doesn't allocate funds for salting of local roads.

That was the message delivered by Councillor Paul McNamara at the September meeting of the Westport Belmullet Municipal District in Carratigue.

The Achill-based politician said local roads were not salted last year during frosty weather and this created huge danger for drivers trying to get to work or care for vulnerable people in the community.

“What's the plans for this winter? Are the roads going to be salted when the frost comes? Last year there was no salting of the local roads in our area at all. This cannot be allowed happen again surely,” he asked.

Padraic Walsh, Head of the district said the council will use whatever resources it has when the bad weather arrives.

“Whatever money we have, we will use but it's entirely budget-dependent. Last year 95 percent of local roads didn't get salt treatment because the funding was not there,” he replied.

This didn't satisfy McNamara who said the council seemed more interested in finance than people.

“Your numbers are wrong. As far as I'm concerned, 100 percent of local roads didn't get salted. All I hear is 'We have no money.' The new CEO has locked the safe and thrown away the key. Does the council not realise how dangerous the local roads are when the frost comes and people can't be confined to the house every time the weather gets cold. People have to get to work, people have to go about their business, home-help have to get to elderly people in the community. This is a disgrace. Common sense thinking is needed instead of constantly complaining about budgets.”