Storm-damaged roads will cost Waterford Council millions of euro to repair

Waterford City and County Council have asked the Department for Transport for €10 million in funding to repair roads damaged by last winter's storms.

Senior Engineer Gabriel Hynes told the Dungarvan-Lismore District Council that this funding is essential for dealing with the damage caused, as well as improving the roads.

“We have made submissions to the department in the region of €10 million for severe weather funding because the roads have had a fair lashing after the past couple of months.

"Without that funding, we are going to struggle to keep the roads in reasonable condition,” said Mr Hynes. 

The senior engineer went on to say that while they have not yet received their roads programme allocation, they hope it will allow them to deal with issues raised by councillors. 

He asked councillors to make submissions to ministers lobbying for the much-needed funding.

“We need to strengthen our roads if we can; that is essential," said Mr Hynes, who was responding to issues raised by Cllr Thomas Phelan and Cllr Tom Cronin. 

Cllr Phelan told the council he is seeing potholes where there didn’t used to be, like on raised tables.

“As predicted by Gabriel and after recent storms, potholes are back with a vengeance,” said Cllr Phelan. 

Mr Hynes responded that they are patching them until they can repair them permanently. 

Cllr Cronin raised a number of potholes in Clashmore but said they need to look at all roads in the Dungarvan-Lismore area.