A Laois councillor wants to know why the council left a road in a mess

COUNCILLOR Ben Brennan said he couldn’t understand why, when years ago, Laois County Council could tar a 100 meters stretch of roadway, that it couldn’t do it now.

He was speaking on a motion that he proposed at the recent meeting of Graiguecullen/Portarlington Municipal District Council when he called on the council to “take in charge the road up to Farnans, where the council houses are located.” 

The council’s senior executive engineer Philip McVeigh said the council would arrange to carry out an inspection of the road.

Not happy with the response cllr Brennan said: “I can’t understand why the council built the houses there and walked away and left the road in a mess. They never came back. That road was tarred. It was always understood it was a public road. People can’t even walk that road now. There’s three houses with old people living in them along that road. One person had a serious operation on their knees and is finding very hard to travel on the road.

“I need action on that road fairly quickly. It was my understanding that the council would tar it, but now I’m being told it’s a private road, there’s no number on it. But years ago the council did work on it. The people living along the road never tarred the road, it was the council who did. That was a through road, but it’s blocked now. All I want is from the three houses up, to be tarred, it’s just about 100 metres. I don’t see any reason why this road cannot be taken in charge and maintained by the council.” 

Cllr Pádraig Fleming agreed with cllr Brennan.

Cathaoirleach of the district council cllr Aidan Mullins said: “If it’s only a 100 meters stretch it shouldn’t take a whole lot work to do it.”