'Salt ended up being spread everywhere except where it should have been spread..'

A senior Tipperary County Council official has ruled out the possibility of supplying salt to local communities to grit their own areas during winter freezes.

Director of Services Marcus O’Connor said it had been done in the past but not successfully.

“Salt ended up being spread everywhere except where it should have been spread,” he told a meeting of Tipperary County Council held during the recent cold-spell before Christmas.

Mr O’Connor was outlining the council’s response to the freezing conditions that lasted for over a week.

He said the council had an adequate supply of salt and salted 1,100 kms of roadway twice per day.

He pointed out that the council doesn’t normally grit footpaths but in the run-up to Christmas, it had decided to grit paths in town centres and retail areas.

Cllr Michael Fitzgerald asked could salt be made available to people to grit roads in their own area that might be impassable.

He said this would be a help in mountainous areas where roads are worst affected.

Mr O’Connor replied that this would not happen. He said there were also insurance concerns as members of the public might not be equipped to do the work.

The council had supplied salt to outside groups during a particularly cold spell in the past but it had not been a success, with salt spread everywhere except where it should have been.

It wouldn’t be feasible to supply salt to outside groups on a routine basis, he added.