Fine Gael Minister Michael Ring has requested a secondary list of damaged roads from county councils, after a question was posed in the Dáil today, 03 May.

The Minister for Rural & Community Development also added that the road repairs submitted will move forward should funding become available in his department later in the year.

Sinn Féin spokesman on Rural and Community Development Martin Kenny TD posed the question, due to his concerns regarding the reduced Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) in 2017.

-- Advertisement --

He said: "I asked the Minister in the Dáil about the reduction of €7 million in the LIS budget from 2017, which seemed a backward step in the context of the damage done to rural roads by extreme weather conditions over the long winter just past."

Mr Kenny welcomed the Minister's response, and urged him to make rural road repairs a priority.

"While I welcome this intention, I urge the Minister to give some priority to the repair of rural roads, which in many cases are a danger to motorists and are causing damage to vehicles due to the state of their disrepair."

(CM/MH)