Green TD Steven Matthews has welcomed the announcement of €721,000 in funding to support Wicklow County Council to carry out essential safety repairs on Wicklow roads. An unprecedented amount of rainfall over the last few months has resulted in significant damage to sections of Wicklow’s road infrastructure. Speaking following the announcement, Deputy Matthews said:
“This funding is critical to mitigating the damage to our road infrastructure caused by climate change. Unfortunately, extreme weather events and periods of intense rainfall linked to climate change have become more frequent across Ireland in recent years. This is resulting in significant damage to our road surfaces which requires a comprehensive response from both Government and local authorities.
“These works are essential to improving road safety and will benefit all road users including drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. It is paramount that our road network in Wicklow is well-maintained so that it does not fall into a state of disrepair or neglect which would be particularly hazardous for vulnerable road users.
“We can do this while maintaining our commitment to a 2:1 expenditure ratio which ensures that transport expenditure is balanced between public transport, active travel and road infrastructure. This latest announcement of funding expands on previous initiatives which have aimed to address damage caused by extreme weather events. The Government has already provided funding for a number of climate adaptation schemes in Wicklow including a flood relief scheme in Calary, an edge protection and drainage scheme along the Wicklow Gap and safety improvements in Ashford town.
“Road safety is a key priority for the Green Party which we have led on in Government through a variety of measures including the construction of walking and cycling paths, funding to carry out essential repairs on roads and our support for reduced speed limits in residential areas.”, Deputy Matthews concluded.
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