Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

I raise the issue of the roads in counties Cavan and Monaghan. They are in such poor condition that drivers are getting seasick, particularly those who drive tractors and there are many of those. Earlier this year, I welcomed the announcement from the Department of Transport that there was an 11% increase in funding for rural roads in Cavan and Monaghan. This increase, however, does not allow for the shortfall in the funding between 2008 and 2023. Over this 15-year period, we saw a €105 million shortfall in the funding for our road network in repair and maintenance.

Cavan has the highest NCT failure rate in the country with steering and suspension issues being the number one issue. These problems are directly linked to the poor condition of our roads. It is no coincidence that vehicles are failing where the roads are at their worst. People should be able to commute to and from work without worrying about ripping the wheel of their car. People pay motor tax, fuel tax, tolls and full excise. The least they should expect is the roads they travel on are safe. There may be an increase in funding, but there is an actual reduction in the number of kilometres of local and regional roads being maintained. When I started in the council in 2016, we were doing 23 km in our municipal district. Last year, we did 11 km. These incremental rises in the early budget do not cover the increase in cost of materials or match the rate of inflation. Given the cumulative deficit in road funding during the 15-year period, there needs to be a much higher allocation in funding if we are to see our roads improve. According to the executive of Cavan County Council, it will take 40 years and €220 million to get our roads up to an acceptable standard.

The Government is literally and politically patching over this problem. Rural communities like those in Cavan and Monaghan deserve more than token increases that barely keep pace with inflation. We need a serious sustained investment that addresses the backlog in funding and restores our roads to a safe reliable standard. I have asked for a Commencement debate a few times on this and it has never been picked. In the next term, I would like to have a Commencement debate with the Minister.