TD calls on Minister to provide emergency funding to fix terrible Wexford roads

Large sections of County Wexford’s rural roads network are literally disintegrating before our eyes, especially so, after the recent spell of bad weather…

Newly appointed Wicklow/Wexford TD, Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin, has called on the Minister of Transport to intervene:

“I am calling on the Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien, to immediately intervene with emergency funding so we can resurface and even re-build stretches of road that are just getting patched at present. Some chippings and tar act like a plaster on a very short term basis, but don’t address the underlying problem.”

The Sinn Féin TD noted that a technical analysis has been done on Wexford roads, but Wexford County Council alone cannot bridge the gap as it’s too significant:

“After the Celtic Tiger years, the Government reduced roads funding dramatically which left a €67-68m hole for Co. Wexford. Even 2021 storm works, including bridge repairs, are only being completed now. 15% on average of the state’s roads are in poor condition. However, in County Wexford the figure is 28%. The roads in this county have been left behind for 30 years, and a technical analysis done by Wexford County Council saw that €194 million is what’s needed to bring our roads up to standard. The Local Authority simply cannot bridge the gap with its own resources,” he told Wexford Weekly.

The Wicklow/Wexford TD has raised the issue with his colleagues at Leinster House and says it’s a matter of priority – and that he will not stop until the issue is addressed:

“I’ve raised this issue in Leinster House and I will not stop until the government starts to address this crisis. It’s not fair on motorists who are having their cars wrecked on such terrible roads, but it is also a serious road safety issue, as drivers on back roads are having to swerve and zig-zag across roads to avoid hitting potholes and broken verges, while at the same time meeting oncoming traffic.”

“I’ve asked the Minister to base funding on a county’s roads condition instead of road length, but the ridiculous response I received was that that might disincentivise county councils from improving bad roads. This is nonsensical and I won’t be letting it rest until we see progress,” his statement concluded.