Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to table this motion and Senator Coffey for sharing time. The motion is simple - additional funding is required by Cork city and county councils and all other local authorities. The roads are in a dangerous condition, badly need to be reinstated and, as Senator Coffey stated, upgraded properly. I call on the Government to stop failing citizens and provide the required funding as soon as possible, as it is imperative that we repair the road system to make it safe. People should not be afraid in driving on them that they will cave in. Dykes and culverts should not be blocked.

This week I received from Cork County Council a reply to information I requested about its roads programme for 2010. It informed me by letter that it could not make a commitment to roads resurfacing or renewal because it had not received budgetary information from the Government.

We have had a period of unprecedented flooding, snow and ice, with the net result that our road system is in absolute tatters; it is in rag order. We now find there is no plan by the Government to assist local authorities or put in place a plan to fix the roads. It is an appalling failure and indictment of the Government.

Why do we not have an additional commitment for funding? What will we tell the people in Cork South-Central, those in the city and county? What will we tell the people in Grange Frankfield, Waterfall, Rochestown, Carr's Hill, Maryborough Hill and Carrigaline who are in gridlock every morning because they are avoiding potholes, roads that are flooded or because routes have caved in? Are we to tell them the resurfacing and road renewal programme is on hold and although the surface has taken a battering, it will be fine? We will have a 21st century country on one level and an 18th century road system.

I have made numerous representations on behalf of the constituents of Cork city and county councils regarding non-national roads. Estate roads are in poor condition and potholes litter roads in the Minister of State's constituency and others. We need a plan to improve the road conditions. Why can we not be creative and take people off dole queues? We could give engineers and labourers work in repairing and renewing our roads system.

I call on the Government, with the Minister of State as its representative, to provide additional money for cash-starved local authorities which do not have resources to fix the problem. Otherwise we will have a major difficulty in three or four months. As Senator Coffey noted, winter is not over yet. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.