Minister Varadkar boosts council funding to cope with another severe winter

Local authorities will have 60,000 tonnes of salt this year for regional and local roads

 

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar announced today (Friday) that local authorities will share an extra €1.25 million in funding this year to prepare for extreme weather conditions.

 

The Minister has increased the Winter Maintenance Grant from €10 million to €11.25 million to assist local authorities with winter maintenance and to keep important roads clear.

 

“We must do everything we can to prepare Ireland for extreme weather conditions. Every extreme winter in recent years has seen salt stocks running perilously low.  Hopefully, local authorities will have access to sufficient supplies of salt this year, and sufficient resources to spread it, as a result of this extra funding.

 

“We have no way of knowing whether another severe winter is on the way. But we must do our very best to be prepared.”

 

The extra €1.25 million, along with the direct purchase of some 60,000 tonnes of salt, was possible through savings in the Department. It means that local authorities will have access to some 60,000 tonnes of salt, on top of the supplies purchased separately by the National Roads Authority.

 

The funding will help to cover the cost of purchasing, transporting, storing and spreading salt, and other works associated with extreme weather conditions.