Urgent behind doors meeting on road funding

Councillors in the Bailieborough-Cootehill area will convene a behind-doors meeting this week to discuss continued concerns over the condition and further deterioration of the local road network.

The current roadworks programme was agreed almost half a year ago but there is said to be major cross-party dissatisfaction over just how far the money allocated will stretch given inflation.

There is growing pressure now on the council to create more wriggle room and cover more ground, especially as the current allocation accounts for fixing just 11km, or one percent of the 1,100km of road contained within the MD in 2025.

At county level, in February, the Department of Transport allocated €19M to the local authority for regional and local road works, compared to €17.5M for the county in 2024. But councillors believed a significant top-up is needed if any real attempt is to be made to upgrade many routes or even bring them back up to previous standards.

The localised in-committee address follows a decision taken by elected members at their March monthly meeting to invite local Oireachtas colleagues to meet with them over the need for additional roads funding.

Earlier this month councillors met with newly installed Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, where the need for more funding for roads was again a topic for debate.

With an unprecedented level representation now in Leinster House across both houses, councillors want to capitalise on any opportunity to put forward a strong case for more money to be allocated to the county.