Frustration over road repairs – and the the salting programme in icy weather – was a major topic of conversation at this week’s meeting of the Portarlington-Graiguecullen Municipal District in Laois County Council.
Cllr Ben Brennan got particularly irate, expressing his extreme frustration over what he deems a slow rate of progress – and an understaffed roads department in the council.
He was issued with an identical response to two of his three motions, calling on works on the road at Knockbeg College and on the road into Killeshin village.
“The Roads Design Office will arrange to meet with Cllr Brennan on site to assess the problem and identify a solution,” was the council response to both motions.
But this wasn’t to Cllr Brennan’s satisfaction, asking who was in the roads office to meet him.
“What do I do? Go out and stand on my own,” he fumed.
“I’ve stood on the road,” he said in relation to the Knockbeg road. “It’s a death trap. Something needs to be done. We have done some passing bays but we need more.
“There are 400-500 kids in that school. There are the guts of 300 cars coming in and out of the place every day.
“It’s so disappointing to be getting nothing done.”
“I have to agree with Ben. Is it possible to get a count done on the amount of cars on that road on a daily basis,” added Cllr Aisling Moran in support of Cllr Brennan.
“If it was a road near Portlaoise, it’d be done. It’d be widened, it’d be straightened, there would be paths, cycle lanes.
“There are 500 students there and next September there will be more as there has been huge developments in the school. Why is our side of the constituency ignored?”
And support also came from Cllr Padraig Fleming.
“I agree with Ben. I have had motions before with roads at Arles and Pedigree Corner,” said Cllr Fleming. “I’m waiting for over six months.
“One person in the design team has left and there is only one person left. They are under serious pressure. In fairness, they had staff but two or three have left and have gone to other counties.
“I would like to know what it will be resolved.”
And when Cllr Brennan’s motion calling for safety measures on the road into Killeshin was met with the same written response, Cllr Brennan hit out once more.
“There we are again,” he said with an obvious tone of frustration, specifying “the GAA pitch, soccer pitch, community centre with businesses and Saplings school” as premises in the area that are attracting a huge number of people.
Gerry Murphy, Director of Services for Laois County Council, told Cllr Brennan that Adrian Barrett is the senior engineer for roads. “I suggest you contact him,” said Mr Murphy.
And Cllr Brennan was off again when his third and final motion – calling for an update on “the salting routes in Killeshin, Crettyard areas and if any additional routes are included as requested by me”.
The response was that the N78, the R430 and R431 are salted as well as salt bins in the Killeshin church car park and adjacent to the waterworks in Rossmore-Killeshin.
The response went on to say that the council’s winter salting operation consists of seven routes that treat almost 480km of public roadways in the county.
“The capacity of the salting vehicles is utilised fully,” added the response.
“There is no salt remaining when a route is salted. The inclusion of any additional lengths of road for salting would be subject to the removal of an existing salted road.”
“I got the same answer last year and the year before,” replied Cllr Brennan. “That’s not right.”
He added that the Council won’t “go up the Cuts”, a series of roads up the Killeshin hills “but they expect a bus with kids to drive it”. They’ll leave the salt for us.
“Right now I’m totally sickened. In Kilkenny, they have tractor for smaller roads and a lorry for the major roads.
“Kilkenny can do it, Carlow can do it but Laois can’t.”
“There is an issue there,” contributed Cllr Fleming.
“You are now saying if you do some roads extra you have to take others off it. No road has been changed or added in years. I’m open to correction on that but if it is, it’s only small.”
Cllr PJ Kelly said that it is possible for a tractor and manure spreader to travel the small roads and spread salt.
And Cllr Kelly called for more salt bins on that side of the county, particularly at schools and church car parks as we head into a cold spell of weather.
SEE ALSO – Laois athlete set to head to Italy to compete in European Cross Country Championships
