Mayo TD says 2026 funding does little to address the neglect of Mayo roads

Sinn Féin TD for Mayo, Rose Conway-Walsh, has criticised the Government’s failure to provide adequate funding to properly maintain and repair Mayo’s regional and local roads.

Latest figures have confirmed that Mayo will receive €41,164,300 in 2026 for regional and local roads, an increase of just €598,240 (1.47 percent) on the 2025 allocation of €40,566,060.

Speaking following the announcement, Teachta Conway-Walsh said: “While any additional funding is welcome, a 1.47 percent increase simply does not reflect the scale of deterioration on roads across Mayo.

“Mayo has one of the largest road networks in the State, with vast rural areas depending on regional and local roads every single day. This tiny increase will be quickly swallowed up by rising material, labour and energy costs.

“Every year we see patchwork repairs on Mayo’s roads instead of long-term investment. Decades of underfunding have left many routes in an unacceptable and, in some cases, dangerous condition.

“Families, workers, farmers and our emergency services rely on these roads. People are paying motor tax, fuel excise and VAT, yet they are driving on crumbling, pothole-ridden roads with poorly maintained junctions.

“We can’t blame Mayo County Council when they’re not resourced adequately by the Government to deal with the scale of the crisis. This allocation for 2026 will not allow us to get ahead of the backlog of repairs. At best, it will allow things to stand still, and even that is uncertain, given increasing raw material costs. I welcome the €449,000 allocated for the R312 but it will barely scratch the surface. 

“On numerous occasions in the Dáil I have asked the Government to recognise the strategic importance of Mayo’s road network for regional development, road safety and economic growth. We need sustained, multi-annual investment that actually brings roads up to a safe standard.

“I am calling on the Minister for Transport to revise his allocation for Mayo and provide the level of funding required to properly maintain and restore our roads. Households and businesses in Mayo pay the same tax as elsewhere, the least they deserve are safe roads and well maintained roads.”

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