Pothole repairs unavailable on road to Laois council houses 

A couple of roads with pothole problems should be taken charge, a councillor has said.   

Fianna Fail Cllr Paschal McEvoy asked in a motion “that this Council take in charge road at Grange Lower, Stradbally.”

“This is a road where there is a lot of houses,” he explained. 

He said “there is a continuous problem with potholes” on the road and action was needed. 

Senior Executive Engineer,  Philip McVeigh, said  “Laois County Council will arrange to meet with the Elected Member and carry out an inspection of this road at Grange Lower with regard to this request.”

In second motion, Cllr McEvoy asked “that this Council take in charge road at Whelan’s Kilmurray, Stradbally.”

He explained that the situation was similar to the previous road and said there were a lot of roads that should be taken in charge so the council can carry out repairs. 

Independent Cllr Aidan Mullins asked what the criteria for taking roads in charge was. 

Mr McVeigh explained that under Section 11 of the Roads Act the roads need to be of public utility. 

Cllr McEvoy said he had seen advertisements for the taking in charge of roads in Portlaoise.

He said in eleven years he hasn’t seen one taken in charge in the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District. 

Independent Cllr Ben Brennan  said “we had the council build two houses on the one road and the council are not allowed to go down and fill a few potholes on it but yet the council built the houses on it.” He said the road should be taken in charge. 

In response to the motion, Mr McVeigh said:  “Laois County Council will arrange to meet with the Elected Member and carry out an inspection of this road at Kilmurray with regard to this request.”

The issue was discussed at the October meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.