Local representatives received the shocking news from Louth County Council on Friday evening last that seven roads in Drogheda, but just one in Dundalk, which had been scheduled for resurfacing this year, have been dropped from the road works programme due to a lack of funding.

The notice from the Council read as follows: "The tenders from external contractors have all been received lately for resurfacing works in RWP 2024; With the funds we have available, unfortunately, competitive market forces dictate that we resurface only those roads within our budget.

“Out of 45 roads originally proposed in South Louth, Louth County Council will still complete 38 in the Roads Programme 2024. The roads to be removed from the Roads Work Programme 2024 in Drogheda are:

• Chord Road,
• College Rise,
• Rathmullan,
• Crosslanes,
• Broadmeadows,
• Trinity Gardens and
• The steps at Pitcher Hill.
• Reduced works at Martello village subsidence and reduced scope Duleek Street.

Only one road in Dundalk, Bothar na Feirme, was dropped from the schedule.

Reacting, Councillor James Byrne said he is “extremely disappointed and frustrated” by the news.

“Councillors voted on the RWP earlier this year and it’s bad enough that the work hasn’t started yet (contracts have just gone through the tendering process) on the 38 roads to be done but to hear that other roads and steps have been chopped off the list now makes a mockery of the whole thing.

“It also concerns me that roads which didn’t quite make the list for this year will fall further down the queue for resurfacing.

“I am demanding answers from Louth County Council as to how they got their estimates so wrong and I'm also seeking a change in the process to bring forward future Road Works Programmes so that work can actually commence earlier in the year.”

Deputy Fergus O’Dowd was also annoyed by the Council’s notice and has written to them demanding to know who was making these decisions and what their rationale was.

“Whilst I can appreciate the funding pressures, can the council please outline who was responsible and what methodology was used to pick the specific locations as it would appear to be very loaded against south Louth” he said, adding that he would appreciate an urgent response.