Deputy Matt Carthy and Minister Charlie McConalogue clash over ‘desperate state’ of Monaghan’s roads
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy has accused the Government of not providing adequate funding to maintain Monaghan's road network.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue defended the Government's record in assisting local authorities with the repair and upkeep of the State's roads network.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue have become embroiled in a simmering row over the state of county Monaghan’s road network.
Mr Carthy, speaking in the Dáil yesterday, took aim at the “desperate state” of the county’s road.
The Carrickmacross based politician bemoaned how local authorities like those in his home county and Donegal were facing uphill tasks in upholding road networks that were in dire need of investment.
“Does the Minister accept that the Government has been underfunding local roads?” Mr Carthy asked.
“I know that in County Monaghan, I see a local council trying desperately to maintain roads that are in a desperate state. It is carrying out patching works when full resurfacing is required.
Mr Carthy said Donegal County Council were being met with similar challenges as he called for significant State funding to be ring-fenced to deal with the problem.
"Will the Government allocate the necessary funding to allow these local roads to be resurfaced? Mr Carthy questioned.
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“Will the Government commit not just to some gesture in advance of the local elections but also to a comprehensive allocation that recognises that people in rural communities pay their road tax and their excise in fuel, which the Government keeps increasing, and deserve to be able to drive to work without breaking the suspension or the tyres on their cars?”
In response, Mr McConalogue rubbished claims the Government had left councils under-resourced in upholding the State’s road network and was, in fact, doing the exact opposite.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue defended the Government's record in assisting local authorities with the repair and upkeep of the State's roads network.
“I do not accept that the Government is underfunding roads,” he contended.
“It is putting record funding into roads. In the last day or two, we had an announcement from the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, of a record €40 million this year for local improvement scheme roads.
“The weather has been a particular challenge, like with many other aspects of life, with the wear and tear on our roads over the last number of months, but we are responding to that with record funding for local authorities across the country.”
