Concern over tree roots breaking through footpaths in Laois housing estates

WHILE Laois County Council has 'no specific funding' to repair footpaths around the county, it has given an undertaken to cllr Catherine Fitzgerald that it will arrange for the necessary repair work to be carried out, on the ones in their charge, 'on a prioritised basis.'

Staff Officer at the Corporate Affairs section of the council Michelle McCormack told councillors at their October meeting: “Laois County will arrange for the necessary repair work on a prioritised basis within the estates in charge of the local authority.

“Given the frequency of requests which is resulting from the number of mature estates in the county, provision will have to be made for an appropriate budge for such works as part of the budgetary process for 2025 and beyond.” 

She said that in the past funding had been sought from the Department of Transport for restoration and improvement programmes for footpath around the county.

She added: “No such specific funding for footpaths has been forthcoming to date.” 

Cllr Fitzgerald asked: “Are we getting some money in this budget for footpaths after that response?"

Acting Director of Services at the Roads Department Paul McLoughlin said: “There will be some, as in previous years. There’s always an allocation for footpaths. What we’re trying to articulate in the response is that back in the 90s the roads were in poor enough condition. The Department of Transport put together a programme, called a Restoration Improvement Grant. We’ve being seeking such a programme here in Laois for footpaths, because the repair of all our footpaths is well beyond what this council’s resources has to hand at the minute. But, there will be funds within the budget.” 

“Where is the footpath budget,” asked cllr Fitzgerald, “because any footpath that I have got done and other councillors have been told to get them out of our own discretionary funds.” 

She said the combined discretionary funds from the seven councillors in Portlaoise, “wouldn’t do one estate. It’s brilliant if you (the council) has money, but I’ve always been told there’s no budget for footpaths. We have lovely new walkways and cycle lanes, but we’re talking about housing estates that are 50 and 60 year old with roots of trees coming up onto footpaths. It’s really dangerous. Our discretionary funds are only a drop in the ocean.” 

Cllr Fitzgerald then asked Mr McLoughlin: “How much is in the footpath budget,” to which he replied: “It varies from year to year. A portion of the grant we get from the department is discretionary funding, some of which is targeted and some areas. A portion of that money can be used for footpaths.” 

The Interim Executive Officer Simon Walton said: “Unless there is a significant change to which road funding is provided to local authorities, there will not be sufficient funding to this council’s budget next year or the year after to deliver the programme that I feel you (councillors in Laois) envisage here. The only avenue available to the council for footpaths over the last number of years has been through the department of transport’s discretionary funding scheme. That funds footpaths, traffic calming, public lighting and other discretionary. The other funding was from the Irish Public Bodies Insurance Footpaths Fund (IPBN) which expired at the end of last year.” 

He said to do what cllr Fitzgerald was asking, the council would have to raise rates and/or taxes in other areas, “very significantly.” 

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “People can’t get out of their estates, it’s too dangerous. Councillors can’t provide that type of funding from our discretionary money. We’ll get a patch here and there. Money from the department is badly needed. We’re after putting up the property tax and people are saying they’re paying them and all their other taxes and the paths in the estates are really dangerous.” 

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said: “There’s a lot of elderly people in the county who have fallen. The other thing is that the insurance companies has stopped their end of it. That means now that if somebody falls and breaks a hip or damages themselves there’s a claim gone in (to the council) straight away.” 

She said that in one relatively new housing estate in Portlaoise trees roots are coming up through the footpath, “and people are falling over them.”