Donegal ‘tarred’ over lack of road patching machines 

The fact that County Cork had purchased up to ten tar patching machines, while Donegal County Council (DCC) rented just one during the summer, was at the heart of a proposal at the monthly meeting of the Lifford Stranorlar MD to purchase a number of such machines for the county. 

The debate started after road and transport council officials were scrutinised by Cllr Patrick McGowan (FF), as to whether the standard of tar being used on Donegal road was up to scratch and whether there was a variation in the quality of the tar being used. 

“The tar rolls out now like oil out of the machine. Years ago it came out thick and you could see the quality of it. Now what you see is oil,” he claimed.

Maybe some environmentally sensitive content had been removed, he suggested.

But it was not the tar of old, he had been assured by both current and past council workers. 

He further suggested that the tar did not seem to last as long as it used to and he also questioned the quality of the tar chips.

He was assured by MD area engineer, Tommy Doherty, that all the materials used were to council specifications, checked and samples taken and tested.

Mr Doherty also confirmed that no tar or chips had been returned within the area since he had worked within the MD.

The matter was taken further by Cllr Martin Harley (FG) when he proposed that notwithstanding any changes after the June local elections, Donegal “should now and try to get a few of our own patching machines”.

Cllr Harley, who is also the current Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council added: “To the best of my knowledge, we do not have a patching machine within the council. If you look at places such as Cork County Council, they have about ten patching machines. We rent one in for the summer and it goes from one area to the other. 

“Going forward we need to be upgrading our equipment,” he affirmed.

Cllr Harley said that the main equipment yard of the council had been upgraded, describing it “as a fantastic job, which is only right and proper for the staff working there”.

“But I think that going forward, we should be putting forward a proposal for the budget meeting that the council start buying in their own patching machines,” he proposed.

Cllt harley said that he would envisage a singular machine purchase each year, so that by the end of the next term of the council, there would be a tar patching machine available for each municipal district within the county.

“I think that is only right and proper.”

The proposal was seconded by Cllr McGowan who added that engineers here should be talking to their colleagues in Cork.

“They have ten and we have none. We are all in the one wee country so I would definitely second that.”