The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leo Varadkar, has announced that an additional €50 million is to be allocated to local authorities for road repairs. Funding will be made available immediately so that work can start over the summer and autumn; the extra money is in addition to the €350 million already allocated for this purpose.
The announcement, made earlier this week, was welcomed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), with the organisation previously expressing concern over the lack of investment in road maintenance. A combination of shrinking budgets and harsh winters has caused roads, especially those in rural areas, to deteriorate. The RSA's greatest concern was that there would be an increase in accidents where poor road conditions were cited as the main contributory factor.
Noel Brett, the RSA's Chief Executive Officer, also called for a review of roadside verge cutting regulations. Overgrown roadside vegetation is a danger to pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, haulage operators and farmers.
In conclusion Mr Brett said, "June was the worst month for road fatalities in 2012 with 26 people killed. In the first three days on June 2013 we have five people killed. With the arrival of summer weather, increased tourism and the start of the harvest season we make a plea to all road users to take personal responsibility for how they use the roads. We cannot allow a repeat of last June's carnage. If we all play our part lives can be saved, catastrophic injuries can be avoided and needless heartbreak prevented for families across the country".