Fianna Fáil Cllr Joe Flaherty has called on Longford County Council to carry out an in-depth audit on estates more than 20 years old.

Mr Flaherty is urging the council to carry out improvement works on the county's ageing estates due to a lack of infrastructural changes.

He said: "Many of the estates in Co Longford were built more than 20 years ago and haven't seen much investment in their infrastructure since then. These estates have now matured and the infrastructure hasn't been able to keep up with lifestyle changes that have occurred down through the years."

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He identified parking spaces as an issue and claimed the council has not responded to population growth in the area.

"Residential areas such as Pearse View in Longford town and Castle Gardens in Newtownforbes are good examples of this. These estates were built at a time when most homes had one car at most. However this isn't the case anymore. It's not uncommon for a home to have two cars and perhaps more if older children are living at home. This has put pressure on the amount of parking space available with many residents having to park their cars on green areas."

Mr Flaherty also claimed the footpaths were an issue in many Longford estates because they are not wheelchair friendly and do not have "adequate curbs" to assist those with mobility issues.

(CM)