Maintaining roads in north Longford will be ‘very, very challenging’, meeting hears

Councillors were told at last Friday's Granard Municipal District meeting of how central government funding was down four per cent on last year's allocation.

Area engineer David Coppinger, in commenting on figures circulated to councillors last week, said despite the likes of surface dressing and drainage monies remaining largely unaffected, certain areas had been specifically hard hit.

“Unfortunately in some areas there have been substantial reductions,” he said.

“For instance in the discretionary maintenance grant it’s down €57,000 which equates to 12.5 per cent.

“I put an asterix beside it to draw attention that it was also reduced by 12.5 per cent last year which means it will be an extremely difficult (year) given that winter maintenance salting comes out of that and it will make it a very challenging budget to managing that particular one.”