David Maxwell: Demands Funding for Storm-Damaged Rural Roads
David Maxwell pressed the Minister for an update on further road allocations for Monaghan and Cavanagh after severe storm damage, asking whether additional funding will be released to local authorities. He warned that inflation in supplies and labour means this year's allocations will not stretch to cover repairs.
What he asked: David Maxwell asked the Minister whether another tranche of funding will be made available to help local authorities reinstate local and secondary roads damaged by heavy storms, including Storm Goretti. He highlighted immediate local needs in Monaghan and Cavan and asked for a clear commitment to extra allocations.
Local impact and costs: Maxwell outlined the local cost burden, saying Monaghan County Council faces just over £1.4 million in repairs for storm damage this year. He warned these storm repairs are being met from ordinary maintenance budgets that are already severely constrained.
Budgetary pressures and inflation: Maxwell argued that annual road allocations are being eroded by year-on-year price increases in supplies and labour, meaning current funding will not go as far. He called for sustained increases to bring local roads back to a safe standard over coming years.
Government response and next steps: The Minister confirmed that the Department of Transport has asked councils to submit storm-damage claims and that applications from eight local authorities, including Monaghan, are under assessment. Maxwell said he will follow up to ensure funds reach the counties most affected and pressed for a firm commitment on further allocations.
What he asked: David Maxwell asked the Minister whether another tranche of funding will be made available to help local authorities reinstate local and secondary roads damaged by heavy storms, including Storm Goretti. He highlighted immediate local needs in Monaghan and Cavan and asked for a clear commitment to extra allocations.
Local impact and costs: Maxwell outlined the local cost burden, saying Monaghan County Council faces just over £1.4 million in repairs for storm damage this year. He warned these storm repairs are being met from ordinary maintenance budgets that are already severely constrained.
Budgetary pressures and inflation: Maxwell argued that annual road allocations are being eroded by year-on-year price increases in supplies and labour, meaning current funding will not go as far. He called for sustained increases to bring local roads back to a safe standard over coming years.
Government response and next steps: The Minister confirmed that the Department of Transport has asked councils to submit storm-damage claims and that applications from eight local authorities, including Monaghan, are under assessment. Maxwell said he will follow up to ensure funds reach the counties most affected and pressed for a firm commitment on further allocations.
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Transcript
Following the announcement in February of the annual roads allocation, can you give an update on any further allocations for Monaghan and Cavanagh and all the other counties? This year's allocations for local and secondary roads will not go as far because they will be eaten up by price increases in supplies and labour year on year. With the excessive wet weather this winter and a number of storms, the latest storm being Goretti in February, local and secondary roads in Monaghan and Cavanagh are in a deplorable state. Can you advise, will there be a further allocation to help local authorities reinstate these roads? These roads are used by farmers, all types of businesses and the people who live on them. It will cost Monaghan County Council just over £1.4 million for repairs to cover storm damage alone on their local roads this year. This £1.4 million is at the moment being taken out of the ordinary roads maintenance budgets that are already cut to the bone. The people of rural Ireland deserve roads that are fit to be used safely. We need sustained increases to bring all local roads up to the required stand over the coming years. Can you give a commitment here today to local authorities that another tranche of funding will be coming forward? Thank you. Thank you very much Deputy Maxwell and I appreciate you raising this and it's not the first time you've raised it with me because I know your own constituency in both Cavanagh and Monaghan have been significantly impacted by storm Chandra and while we have increased the funding for roads in both Cavanagh and Monaghan, and that's important, it increased the funding in 2026 versus 2025, I want to see that money and more importantly you want to see that money in Cavanagh and Monaghan being spent as it was intended and not sucked up by the road damage. Now we have gone out to the councils, when I say we the Department of Transport has gone out to the councils and said can you come back to us in terms of your storm damage so we can see if within the Department of Transport vote we can allocate additional funding for that storm damage. That's the direction myself and the Taoiseach gave at a special cabinet committee on the flood damage. There is currently an application in from eight local authorities of which Monaghan is one. That's now being assessed. I'm not saying this to be difficult, I'm not sure we've yet won in from Cavan, but I'm fully raising this, I'll follow that up and Minister Buttermore here who's in the Department will also link with you on it.