Independent Drogheda Rural Councillor Declan Power hascriticised Louth County Council for their failure to maintain the County's rural roads, especially those at the Dales in Clogherhead.

The Dales, which was in poor condition last year, received patchwork repairs but they were washed away within weeks by the torrential rain and flooding. This ongoing deterioration has made the road extremely challenging for road users.

Power emphasised that property and road taxes paid by residents should ensure safe and roadworthy conditions. He called on the council to prioritise emergency repairs for the Dales immediately.

“This time last year the Dales was in a terrible condition when eventual road repair was carried out. Unfortunately patch work will only last a short period and was washed away only weeks after this was installed due to torrential rain and flooding.

“This has continued to deteriorate making it extremely difficult and challenging for drivers. People pay their property tax and their road tax and the responsibility lies directly with the local authority to ensure that these rural roads are at a standard that is safe and road worthy for all users.

“I am asking the council to apply emergency road repair in the Dales as a matter of urgency, said Cllr. Power.

In response, Louth County Council Senior Engineer Declan McMahon said that the Dales would be added to the road repair list, with work commencing as soon as possible.

The Louth County Council official also added that a new scheme, Reclaimed Asphalt Planings (RAP), will be implemented in 2025. 

“This creates a new smooth overlay layer identical to conventional surfacing using asphalt planned from last year’s roads. This trial was implemented successfully in Monaghan and will be rolled out in Louth next year,” Mr. McMahon said.