Improving regional roads critical for the country
- Diktat to Gardaí to do 30 minutes road traffic duty laughable
Labour TD Alan Kelly has called on Government to commit to improving regional roads in an effort to improve road safety.
Deputy Kelly said:
“Rather than sending out diktats to already stretched Gardaí to carry out more road traffic duties, this Government should be funding our local councils to tackle crumbling roads nationwide.
“We already know that the morale in An Garda Síochána is on the floor. They’re totally overworked as it is as the recruitment crisis continues to plague the force.
“If this Government were actually serious about protecting people on our roads, they would immediately fund local councils to repair the crumbling roads nationwide. Motorists up and down this country face treacherous conditions on the roads.
“The quality of roads has deteriorated massively in the last nine months in particular, as the spate of bad weather has compounded the problem.
“The Government’s failure to provide adequate funding for road maintenance is a dereliction of duty. Our local councils are being forced to stretch already thin budgets to cover the costs of repairs, leaving essential services underfunded and communities isolated.
“Better road infrastructure would hopefully have an impact on tackling the enormous increase in road fatalities that this country has experience to date in 2024. Of course, it is not a panacea but it is crucial to ensuring roads are safe and actually driveable.
“Let’s end the spin emanating from Government buildings, and actually do something to address the enormous increase of crashes and fatalities on our roads.”