KILDARE: No extra help for rural areas prone to icy conditions this winter
Not enough to go around
Kildare County Council is unwilling to make salt bins available at designated areas prone to icing.
The request was made by Cllr Fintan Brett who told a Naas Municipal District meeting there are a handful of areas affected in the Naas area and these are not on the routes which are routinely salted by KCC in freezing weather conditions.
The councillor said providing salt bins in these areas for designated people to spread on the roadway was done in the past.
He cited Furness, near Naas, as an area where this needs to be done.
“People are willing to do it. It’s a one off request and would come at a small cost.
However, according to KCC its inter maintenance plan treats approximately 680 kms of roadway in the county.
“The provision of salt bins countywide is not included in the plan because of the resources required to maintain this service, associated costs, and potential liability issues.”
KCC engineer David Reel said a larger percentage of roads in County Kildare are salted when compared with ”most other counties”
He said resources are stretched and if this request is granted others will follow.
“The focus is on salting the main routes,” he said.