Longford council director says they have €250,000 shortfall for 'drivers and new gritter'

Councillors have been been informed 'substantial' funding of €250,000 is needed to pay for 'human resources and a new gritter' if they are to facilitate the salting of all additional routes requested.

Director of Services Barbara Heslin made the comments to local representatives at the recent January meeting of Granard Municipal District after a motion from Cllr Pádraig McNamara.

The Fine Gael representative submitted a motion calling on the local authority to review existing winter gritting arrangements and to prioritise areas around national schools for gritting,

District Engineer David Coppinger also addressed Cllr McNamara and insisted they had no extra money available within their existing budget.

Cllr McNamara had requested that the local authority 'give consideration to prioritising approaches and access routes to national schools in Killasonna, Killeen, Bunlahy, Mullinalaghta and Aughnagarron during periods of frost and icy conditions'.

He stated doing that would 'improve safety for pupils, parents, school staff and road users during school drop-off and collection times in freezing weather'.

Cllr McNamara said he omitted Abbeylara from his motion because he mistakenly assumed Abbeylara was being gritted because the gritting lorry goes through the area and he was 'amazed' as it is right in the centre of the village.

"There was an incident only two weeks ago where two children fell and banged their heads there and that shouldn't be accepted in this day and age, it should be addressed.

"For what it would cost to actually do that extra piece of road it should be included and done and dusted.

"During periods of frost and icy conditions doing this will improve the safety for pupils, parents, school staff and road users during school drop offs and election times in freezing weather."

The motion was seconded by Cllr Turlough McGovern who said he was well aware of the lorry travelling through Abbeylara and not going to the school and he stated he completely agreed with Cllr McNamara.

"It's in the village itself, it's hard to believe that when you go into Abbeylara you cannot go left and turn above at the church.
"It's a gobsmacking one for me.

"It brings a lot of pressure on elected members but we still don't know who is the main man to go to in Irish Water for the Granard area."

Cllr Colin Dalton also supported the proposal and he said it was a good motion.

District Engineer David Coppinger issued the same response to an earlier motion requesting additional roads are gritted.

He stated the local authority 'currently salt in excess of 22% of the road network in the county and they do not have the capacity or the resources to add any additional salting routes'.

"The request can only be considered for the 2026 winter maintenance programme but only if additional resources and funding is made available by the elected members as part of the 2026 Budget.

"It's not the first time I've said that to ye, ye need to provide substantial more money if we are to add these."

Asked by Cllr McNamara how much they needed, Ms Heslin responded, "You are talking about human resources, drivers and a new gritter, which would be about a quarter of a million euro."

Cllr Dalton said he was hoping they could reach a compromise and he suggested they write to the Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien, which was widely supported by all of the local representatives.

"Hopefully the Minister will look at this favourably because I said before I don't want the time to come when there will be a fatality on any of these roads on any of the motions."

"It's very important we work together on this and we resolve it."

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