WATCH: Council to address manhole cover issues

Matter raised at June monthly meeting of Cavan County Council

The council has accepted there is an issue with recessed manhole covers on some well-used roads in the county and has committed to do more to address it and hold those responsible to account.

Fine Gael’s Peter McVitty said he had received numerous complaints from motorists about manhole covers that have dropped below the road surface and gives the impression of a "pothole” when driven over.

He told the June monthly meeting of Cavan County Council that one location often brought to his attention is a manhole located at the roundabout at Cavan Bus Station, and the junction of Coleman Road, Railway Road and Farnham Street.

Another on the Dublin Road out of Cavan Town, approaching Kingspan Breffni Park, was also causing problems, he said.

“They’re in bad condition,” he said of the manholes, and suggested that, when they were installed, the work wasn’t done properly.

“There is a problem in all towns,” said Cllr McVitty.

The motion was supported by his party colleague Madeleine Argue and Fianna Fáil’s Clifford Kelly who said it is a “serious situation” in some areas.

The likes of Irish Water and the ESB, he stated, should be “responsible” for the maintenance of covers under their remit, and that the repair is not a “burden on the council”.

If the council were to do the work, Cllr Kelly said the local authority should be “refunded”.

Cllr TP O’Reilly (FG) said the same issue had been brought up at a meeting of the Ballyjamesduff Municipal District previously, and that a programme of examining damaged manholes “needs to be put in place”.

Independent Brendan Fay said he had raised a problem in relation to a manhole in the Belturbet area but anyone could be waiting “six months to a year” for response.

There was support too for the motion from Shane P O’Reilly (Ind) and Patricia Walsh (FF).

Responding, director of services Paddy Connaughton explained that the responsibility of repair was to the owner of the lid, and if the council were to interfere with that, it may leave them open to litigation.

The responsibility extends to both the manhole cover and also 300 millimetres around the lid.

Mr Connaughton accepted, however, that the council “needs to be more proactive” in checking the condition of manholes.

There is no mechanism in place for the council to recoup costs.

Cllr McVitty concluded by asking that the council write to the utility providers outlining the concerns of councillors, while Cllr S.P. O’Reilly asked that it be extended to the Department of Transport to request that councils be compensated for work done.