The 2024 Local Elections are fast approaching and things are heating across the county ahead of polling day on June 7.
Labour candidate says local authorities need greater resources to tackle ‘crumbling roads’
Labour candidate in the Graiguecullen-Portarlington Municipal District, Eoin Barry has raised serious concerns about the “perilous state” of local and regional roads across the county.
Mr Barry hit out at the Government’s “failure to provide adequate funding for road maintenance,” saying there is a “dereliction of duty” by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and the Greens.
“Every day, motorists brave treacherous conditions on our crumbling roads,” Mr Barry said.
“The recent spate of bad weather has only compounded the problem, leaving roads in a state of disrepair that endangers those who travel on them.
“It’s not just inconvenient; it’s a matter of life and death.
“We know extreme winter weather conditions have accelerated an already dire situation, but local authorities should have been equipped with the necessary resources.”
Mr Barry cited roads in Wolfhill, Killeshin and Ballybrittas as being particularly badly damaged leading to serious road safety concerns.
“Fine Fáil, Fine Gael and the Greens failure to provide adequate funding for road maintenance is a dereliction of duty.
“Our local councils are being forced to stretch already thin budgets to cover the costs of repairs, leaving essential services underfunded and communities isolated.
“The time for political posturing is over. We need action, and we need it now. Government must wake up to the reality that local and regional roads are crumbling before our eyes.
“We cannot continue to ignore this disaster, while driver safety hangs in the balance.”
Labour candidate calls out ‘non-governance’ over energy concerns in social housing
Providing existing social and affordable housing stock with Heat Pumps is a clear example of an out of date and failed local governance system.
That is according to Labour candidate in the Borris-in-Ossory-Mountmellick Municipal District, Bryan Corrigan.
“Laois County Council have been installing heat pumps on local housing stock in the Mountmellick and Borris-in-Ossory area, without fully understanding the concepts of a heat pump and its uses,” Mr Corrigan said.
“There are also Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael County Councillors expressing displeasure on the same issue, which is ironic with them being in government at the same time presiding over local government reform.
“You can only consider yourself to be a good Engineer when you reverse Engineer something, fully understand its components and process and then make it better than it was previously.”
Mr Corrigan clarified that this is not the fault of Laois County Council, saying they are “completing nothing more than a box-ticking exercise” on behalf of the national Government.
“We need to recruit Engineering staff into our Local Councils in order to stop the nonsense that is currently being driven from an overzealous green agenda,” he said.
“When it comes to retrofitting existing social housing stock, these retrofits are producing more C02 than in the first instance.
“It is also costing up to two or three times more for the homeowner/renter, on energy bills and is a situation that is deplorable for the government to be presiding over.
“This money wastage is the fault of this current government as they have actively disassembled local governance with constant interfering and restructuring so that the system no longer works for local people and this has been done on purpose.
“New windows, attic and wall insulation where allowable is the best that can be delivered in most of the existing social and affordable housing stock currently.”
Green Party candidate calls for Tidy Towns policies on postering to be upheld during election
“In Abbeyleix, Ballinakill and Portlaoise the preference is for no posters within the Town speed limits – I think this is a very fair ask.
“As a Green, I recognise that posters can be visually intrusive and environmentally harmful, but as a first-time candidate, I know that posters are the surest way of being recognised, and a vote for Green is a vote for better policies around matters like this one.
“I have also written to Laois County Council to request that they make available a space within the town confines where all candidates could place one poster to ensure equal access to the democratic process.
“Ultimately, we must respect the wishes of Tidy Towns groups, and the huge amount of hard work and dedication that goes into improving our communities making them better places to live, work and visit.”
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