Minister urged to pay for speed limit infrastructure in Longford
The councillors 'acknowledged that any new signage required is currently being funded but they said ‘often more expensive road infrastructures must currently be funded from local scarce resources.
Seven local representatives submitted a joint motion and called on Longford County Council to write to Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien, with a request to fund the infrastructure required to implement the current national speed limit reviews.
Councillors, who lodged the motion at the recent July meeting of Longford County Council, said examples of this infrastructure included speed reduction structures, ramps, bollards and any other necessary road works.
As part of the joint motion, Cllr Seamus Butler, Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi, Cllr Martin Monaghan, Cllr Kevin Hussey, Cllr Peggy Nolan, Cllr Niall Gannon and Cllr Gerry Hagan.
The councillors 'acknowledged that any new signage required is currently being funded but they said ‘often more expensive road infrastructures must currently be funded from local scarce resources to the detriment of the vital road renewals and repairs from the annual roads allocation'.
Cllr Butler speaking on behalf of the group, said this will lead to more expensive repairs on those roads as they are left waiting for longer.
"Very often in these areas the actual physical road works will cost more than the signage which is being paid for by the Department [of Transport],” he added.
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Longford County Council, have confirmed that they will write to Environment Minister Darragh O’Brien, Communications Minister Patrick O’Donovan and Housing and Local Government Minister James Browne and ask them to provide the funding.
The local authority are due to ask that consideration be given to a review of the charging system utilised by the semi state bodies for the costs in relation to moving infrastructure such as poles, wires and watermains.
The local authority will also put in a request that the necessary arrangements are made for the required legislative changes are brought in.