Where will the €13.5m funding for roads repairs in Wexford be spent?

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Within minutes of a funding announcement which has seen €13.49m allocated to Wexford to carry out repairs to roads impacted by Storm Chandra the scramble had begun. While the money was welcomed by all who had campaigned for the roads in their area to be repaired and resurfaced, thoughts immediately turned to how it would be allocated.

Of the five districts in the county, the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD) was undoubtedly the worst hit by Storm Chandra. However, south Wexford, and in particular the New Ross and Rosslare districts, were significantly affected too. And with the biggest land mass, those in the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District (GKMD) could argue that they deserved to receive more than their neighbours too.

However, the new cathaoirleach of Wexford County Council, Councillor Lisa McDonald, said the focus had to be on repairing the roads in the worst condition, regardless of where they are located.

“It should be split evenly, the funding needs to flow to where it’s most required,” she said. “We were delighted to get so much, and you have to bear in mind that the cost of materials has risen too, so this money is critical for the county.”

The final decision as to how the money is spent will rest with director of services Eamonn Hore, and Cllr McDonald said she had “absolute faith” he would distribute it “judiciously and carefully”.

And with Wexford receiving more funding than any other county in the country, Cllr McDonald said the benefit of having a senior minister in Dáil Éireann was paying dividends.

“In fairness the government has responded to the need in the county and that’s in no small part to the work of Minister James Browne at the cabinet table,” she added.

Although separate funding for temporary flood defence works has already been allocated to Enniscorthy, Bunclody, and Bridgetown, the chair of the Enniscorthy Municipal District (EMD), Cllr Pat Kehoe, said the road network in his area “bore the brunt of Storm Chandra” in January.

“We were the worst hit. And when you consider that some of our roads were already in a poor condition the floods only exacerbated the issue,” he said.

Accepting that his counterparts in the other four districts will also be keen to see roads repaired in their communities, Cllr Kehoe said, at the very least, the money should be split on a “pro rata basis”.

“I would like to see us receive substantially more than that, though. I will be bringing this up with our Mr Hore and our area engineer Neil Dempsey in the coming days.”

In New Ross, Cathaoirleach John Fleming said he was “delighted” Wexford had been allocated such a large amount of funding and hoped that, “given how much damage there was done to roads” in the NRMD that it would “receive a substantial amount of this money to work on our roads repairs”.

His New Ross colleague, Cllr Michael Sheehan, was less circumspect.

“We were looking for €30m and have received €13.5m, we were hoping to get €13m for New Ross alone,” he said. “On that basis, I would like to see us receive 40pc of this funding, which is approximately €5.2m. Given that our roads were the worst affected I’d anticipate that the bulk of the money will be directed towards our district.”

Cllr Lisa McDonald elected Wexford County Council Cathaoirleach. Photograph Patrick Browne

New Enniscorthy Municipal District chairman, Cllr. Pat Kehoe. Photo. John Walsh Photography

Cathaoirleach of Rosslare Municipal District Council, Cllr Frank Staples, is congratulated by the outgoing Cathaoirleach, Cllr Ger Carthy, during the election of the Rosslare Municipal District Cathaoirleach and AGM in the Council Chamber on Friday. Photo: Jim Campbell. © Jim Campbell

The cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District, Cllr Frank Staples highlighted the Gardamus Road in his own area as one that could be finally be repaired but said that, first and foremost, it should be “spent where it’s needed”.

Meanwhile, in the Gorey Kilmuckridge Municipal District, new cathaoirleach Mary Farrell said that, “as the biggest district”, the GKMD should receive the biggest share of the funding.

“A lot of rural roads in our area are in an awful state. Everyone can say they would like the greatest share, but the funding should be spent according to where it’s needed most,” she said.

Asked if there were any roads in particular which required urgent repairs, Cllr Farrell said the road sides were a much bigger problem at the moment.

“I’ve had numerous phone calls this week from bus drivers and lorry drivers who’ve had wing mirrors whipped off by branches hanging out in the middle of the road. “

The county’s TDs have also welcomed news of the funding with Deputy Brian Brennan’s only complaint centring on the length of time it took for the money to be allocated.

“The cost of repair of this damage is enormous and would put massive strain on the council’s already tight roads budget. I have been working closely with WCC’s chief executive Eddie Taaffe, the Tánaiste, Finance Minister and all relevant departments to get this funding over the line and I am both delighted and relieved to see this allocation delivered.

“The process has been somewhat protracted with a high level of uncertainty and I will continue to call on the departments involved to develop a more streamlined process for application for emergency funding for these extreme weather events,” he said. “It is unfair to ask a local authority to try to operate their roads budget with this uncertainty.”

Senator Cathal Byrne said he had “consistently raised the urgent need for additional resources” for road repairs in Wexford with Tánaiste Simon Harris and said the funding announcement demonstrated the “government’s commitment to supporting rural communities and maintaining critical local infrastructure.”

“While this is a very welcome development, I will continue to work with WCC, local representatives and the government to secure further investment in our road network and other key infrastructure projects that will build resilience against future weather events and support the long-term development of Co Wexford,” he added.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD speaking during the official opening of the extension at St Kevin's National School, Tombrack on Thursday. Photo: Jim Campbell © Jim Campbell Photography, Wexfor

While welcoming the investment, Sinn Féin TD Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin stressed that it does not go far enough.

“This €13.49m allocation is very welcome and will deliver much-needed improvements. However, it is clear that more funding is required. WCC has indicated that the true cost of bringing all rural roads back to a safe and acceptable standard is closer to €20m, leaving a significant shortfall.

“Years of underinvestment in rural infrastructure cannot be fixed with one-off announcements. The government must commit to bridging this gap and putting in place a long-term funding plan that ensures roads are properly maintained year after year.”

The funding was initially announced by Housing Minister and Enniscorthy TD, James Browne, who said it was “critical”, “absolutely needed” and “urgent”.

“It will help restore roads that suffered significant damage many of which have become dangerous for both walkers and our motorists,” he said.

“Many of our local communities have experienced disruption as a result, and repairing this infrastructure is essential to ensuring safe and reliable access for families, businesses and emergency services.

“I know the extent of the damage caused in many parts of Wexford, and I will continue to work with WCC and the government to ensure these repairs are completed as quickly as possible.”

Of the €40m announced today, Wexford received €13.49m, followed by Wicklow (€10.72m), Waterford (€5.53m), Kilkenny (€3.46m), Carlow (€2.79m), Tipperary (€1.1m), Laois and Louth (both €1m), and Monaghan (€900,000).