Fears that damaged roads in Wexford town will be overlooked due to crisis in rural network

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

With rural roads across the county decimated by storms and flooding, there are fears that urgent repairs in Wexford’s urban centres will be jettisoned when emergency funding becomes available. With Wexford County Council (WCC) hoping to receive as much as €12m from the Department of Transport to repair and reinstate damaged roads, councillors in the hardest-hit districts are already laying claim to the majority of funds.

However, those who represent Wexford town and its surrounds believe their needs should not be overlooked during what has become a crisis for the county.

At the February meeting of the Wexford Borough District, Councillor Biddy Walsh made the case for the county town.

“People all over the county are talking about the pothole situation, but we’re interested in Wexford town and the state of the roads here,” she said. “My fear is we’re going to be left behind in favour of the rural areas; even the roads where the potholes have been filled are coming apart again with the first drop of rain.”

Accepting that there are “huge issues with potholes”, senior engineer Lar Lett said he and his team had been focusing on clearing gullies in the short term while “we wait for the money to arrive”.

One area in the Borough which has fared worse than most is the Riverbank car park and, speaking after the meeting, Cllr Robbie Staples called upon the engineer and his crew to address it “without delay”.

“In the short term, the potholes must be addressed immediately,” Cllr Staples said. “This car park is used daily by people working in our shops, hotels, and cafés.”

He also highlighted that the car park is a paid parking area, and therefore should meet an appropriate standard of upkeep.

“We are charging people to park here,” he added. “If the public is paying for this service, then the car park should be maintained adequately. The current condition simply isn’t acceptable.”

In addition to short‑term repairs, Cllr Staples has called for the car park to be fully resurfaced and for a long‑term plan to be put in place specifically for this part of the district. He emphasised that temporary fixes are no longer sufficient and that a more strategic approach is needed to ensure the facility meets the needs of the community into the future.

“The Riverbank car park is a key piece of local infrastructure,” he said. “We need a clear, long‑term plan for this car park so it can properly serve the people who rely on it every day.”