Councillors demand extra core funding as Sligo Council’s roads programme set to be scaled back

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

An update provided at the June meeting of Sligo County Council in relation to the implications of recent oil price fluctuations to the Council’s 2026 works programme revealed some projects will not go ahead this year with Director of Services Jim Molloy confirming, “Additional costs will have a knock-on impact on the overall budget.”

Addressing the meeting Mr Molloy stated, “The conflict in the Middle East has had a big impact on fuel prices. That impacts on the roads programme because tar is a by-product of the oil industry and this has had significant cost implications for contracts that have gone out. Some materials have gone up by 25-30%.

“We have the set funding for the roads programme for this year, that’s not going to go up. That means that we are finalising details on the changes to the roads programme.

“We will be going back to the Municipal Districts next month to say what the changes are going to be to the roads programme because we are going to have to take some of the roads off this year’s programme and transfer them on to next year.

“It is a fluctuating situation, and we will have to keep our options open as best we can,” added Mr Molloy.

Addressing the meeting Cllr Thomas Walsh insisted, “The Department and the Minister should be providing core funding as an increase to all Local Authorities to ensure projects committed to are completed.”

Cllr Thomas Healy also backed the call for greater funding to be allocated to the Local Authority saying, “Taking them off schemes for this year doesn’t guarantee they’ll be done next year. We can’t have a second class service.

Cllr Healy echoed Cllr Walsh’s call for the Local Authority to write to the Minister to, “Highlight our concerns.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Cllr Gerard Mullaney who said, “I completely agree additional funding is required because when you put them on to next year’s programme you are going to alter next year’s programme, and you are going to have a bigger problem next year. It is incumbent on all of us to lobby to get additional funds.”

Cllr Michael Clarke also backed calls for additional funding to be made available saying, “I second the proposal of Cllr Walsh that we write to the Department.

“Government has seen a major boost in its fortunes in relation to tax collected from diesel, petrol and home heating oil and that would easily compensate the increase in funding required for the roads programme.”

Cllr Declan Bree suggested the Cathaoirligh from around the country work together in terms of lobbying the Department

Cllr Bree described the report issued by Mr Molloy as “frightening,” adding, “While Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu create chaos it is ordinary people worldwide who suffer.”

Cllr Edel McSharry also expressed the need for an additional allocation saying, “Extra funding will have to be given because it is hampering works that are already planned and really needed.”

Cllr Donal Gilroy also expressed the hope that “additional funding will be allocated.”

Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.