The announcement this week that €20,370,746 has been granted to Mayo County Council under the 2010 Regional and Local Roads Programme, the third highest allocation in the country, which was welcomed by Mayo TDs Dara Calleary and Beverley Flynn, was described as a shortfall by the acting director of services with Mayo County Council, Michael Mongan, who outlined that in the past two years that this grant has seen a dramatic decrease.
During the Roads and Transportation SPC which was held on Monday, Mr Mongan said that €30 million was granted in 2008, €22 million in 2009, and now it has dropped to €20 million. With the extreme cold weather and “incredibly high” call outs for gritting roads — 110 since November 2009 — the final cost of this, an estimated €500,000 to €700,000, will impact the money received, especially for discretionary maintenance.
The Regional and Local Roads Grant allocation for 2010 gives €3,368,000 for discretionary maintenance; €3,963,000 for restoration maintenance; €10,494,000 for improvement grants; €199,000 for low cost safety improvement grants; €928,000 for specific improvement grants (the link road in Castlebar ); €350,000 for the road from Bohola to Kiltimagh; €150,000 for regional roads signposting; regional and local roads training programme grants €111,746; strategic regional and local roads grants for the R312 from Castlebar to Belmullet €150,000; and €657,000 for local improvement schemes. It was also announced that Ballina, Castlebar, and Westport town councils are to receive €195,000 each under the programme.
