Proposal for seven-day advance notice of roadworks in Meath fails
A proposal to require seven days’ advance notice of roadworks to Meath councillors was rejected at a recent council meeting.
At the February meeting of Meath County Council, Independent councillor Yvonne Everard tabled a motion calling for better communication around road opening licences.
Her proposal asked that applicants inform local councillors at least seven days before works begin in their areas.
Cllr Everard said elected members are often the first point of contact for frustrated road users caught in unexpected traffic delays.
“Councillors receive numerous calls from residents and road users complaining about being late for work, school appointments and other commitments,” she said.
“We then have to make numerous calls ourselves just to find out exactly what’s going on.”
She argued that earlier notice would allow councillors to alert contractors to local factors such as school schedule
s, half days and community events, as well as helping residents to plan alternative routes.
“Proper communication keeps everyone happy,” she said.
“Safety is paramount, and local knowledge can help ensure the right traffic management is put in place.”
Aontú councillor Emer Tóibín backed the motion, saying that while disruption might still occur, advance warning would at least leave people feeling informed.
“The more information people have, and the more advanced notice they get, the better,” she said.
“People may still be inconvenienced, but at least they feel they’ve been notified.”
Fine Gael councillor Alan Tobin said he supported the motion to an “extent”, and that the focus should apply primarily to large or highly disruptive works.
“Not every road opening license needs to be considered,” he said.
“We’re talking about works that shut roads, create one-way systems and disrupt entire towns.”
“It’s not too big an ask to be consulted when something is going to cause serious disruption.”
Fine Gael councillor Maria Murphy said the issue was particularly noticeable in busy urban areas, especially at peak times of the day.
In response, a council official told the meeting that the road opening licence process is governed by national regulations and cannot be altered by individual local authorities.
Referring to Department of Transport guidelines, the official said the system is standardised across the country and not subject to local variation.
They also pointed out that Meath County Council handles in excess of 2,500 road opening licence applications every year, making it “impractical” to notify councillors of every application.
The meeting was also told that proposed start dates for works frequently change due to cancellations, revised schedules and contractor availability, making a seven-day notice period “difficult to guarantee”.
Speaking afterwards, Sinn Féin councillor Helen Meyer said she was “disappointed” that the motion did not pass.
“When residents have prior knowledge of disruptive roadworks, they can make alternative arrangements such as working from home, starting work earlier or staying later, having others pick up their children from creche, or making appointments for when the roadworks are due to finish,” she said.
“There has to be a better way to notify people about pending roadworks that result in sitting in traffic jams that add hours to a person’s working day and leave people standing at bus stops.”
“Traffic disruption has an enormous impact on the daily lives of local residents. Unfortunately, the council will not be able to alleviate that pain anytime soon,” Cllr Meyer added.