Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the recent announcement from the Department of Transport that there will be an increase in funding to improve rural and regional roads in Cavan and Monaghan. While this is an encouraging step in the right direction, it does not allow for the overall shortfall that we saw in funding between 2008 and 2023. Over that 15-year period, there was a shortfall of €105 million in the funding for road improvements and maintenance in Cavan alone. The drop in spending is reflected in the condition of the roads around Cavan and Monaghan today. There are massive issues and serious road depreciation. The current rate of funding will never get our roads to an acceptable standard for the people who work hard, pay taxes and already have to spend an extortionate amount of money to run their vehicles. In my area, there is a significant dependence on non-national route networks for many households, farmers and businesses. People deserve to have the roads brought up to a proper and respectable standard, with the assurance that this standard will be maintained.

The previous Government used the previous Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, almost as a fall guy when it came to issues of road maintenance and funding. I ask that the current Minister, Darragh O'Brien, be invited to address this shortfall in funding. If we do not, then the people of Cavan and Monaghan will face years of endless patchwork repairs and substandard roads.