BY MICHAEL BRESLIN
Fermanagh Councillors have demanded that the allocation of funding for roads maintenance in the County be increased.
The call came in a meeting last night with Roads Service where they were told that the budget for the current year has been reduced by almost £1m.
Sinn Fein Councillors from Erne East feel their area will be worst hit by the cuts and have challenged Roads Service to provide costings ward by ward.
The three Sinn Fein Councillors, Thomas O'Reilly (Newtownbutler), Brian McCaffrey (Roslea) and Ruth Lynch (Lisnaskea) had heated exchanges with representatives from the Roads Service.
The members were tabled a Report by the Divisional Roads manager, Pat Doherty which showed that this year's roads' budget for the county, at £3.46m for roads maintenance schemes contrasts with last year's allocation of £4.43m.
However, the Roads' Minister, Conor Murphy, by way of a Press release, sounded an upbeat note when he announced a total £5.5 million investment for Fermanagh for the current year.
As well as roads maintenance funding it includes money for a new bridge to be provided at Belcoo in conjunction with Cavan County Council and the National Roads Authority.
He described the past year (April 2007-March 2008) as a successful year for structural maintenance, thanks to a successful bid by Roads Service for additional funds that led to £17m-plus being added on.
He said the maintenance of surfaces and underlying structures of roads and footways was essential for the social and economic well-being in all areas in the North.
He then announced plans to spend £3.5 million on various road maintenance projects in Fermanagh this year and, in particular, on a major resurfacing scheme to be carried out this year on the A4 Belfast Road between Tamlaght and Lisbellaw.
The Roads Service's Divisional Roads Manager, Pat Doherty referred to the inclusion of three major schemes in the Department's investment strategy, namely - the A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass, the A4 Fivemiletown Bypass together with a range of carriageway improvements, including 2+1 overtaking sections, on the A32 between Enniskillen and Omagh.
Despite the challenges presented by the review of public administration, he promised that Roads Service would continue to concentrate on service delivery in the Fermanagh Council area.
Speaking prior to last night's roads' meeting, Councillor Brian McCaffrey, the spokesman for the three Erne East Sinn Fein Councillors told the 'Herald' they had met with Sinn Fein cumainn (branches) to discuss roads and concerns they had.
He said it was the unanimous feeling that Erne East was not being adequately catered.
"We are taking up a number of initiatives to push for additional resources to be allocated to roads that are particularly bad," Mr McCaffrey explained. "In fact, they are so bad they are continuing to deteriorate.
"We have also been in touch with members of local community associations in Erne East and we intend to take up the case of individual wards for, in spite of the fact several wards in our area have been recognised as being 'deprived', there is no breakdown available from the Roads Service on how much money is spent on road repairs in deprived areas."
Speaking on his own behalf , and referring to how this year's roads' budget of £3.46m compared to last year's £4.43m, he commented: "I believe that this is hopelessly inadquate for the needs of the county given the number of roads in Fermanagh (2,061 kilometres).
" I know, and I welcome the fact, that part of that reconstruction money is going to Main Street, Roslea, but it still leaves a significant amount of road throughout Erne East that requires reconstruction work, and no money available to do it."
He said he proposed tabling a request, under the Freedom of Information Act, for a full breakdown of all costings relating to all works in the Roads' programme, 'so that we can accurately see how much money is currently being spent on road repairs in the county', as well as the actual 'spend ' on roads on a ward by ward basis, 'so as to assess how roads' planning dovetails with the whole philosophy of targeting social need'.
He commented: "The reality is that what has been provided for in the Roads' budget is simply inadequate to deal with the state of the roads' network'.
There was no allocation in last year's budget for road reconstruction, but, this year, Roads Service propose to do 730 metres between now and March 31st next year. As regards bitmac resurfacing, where, last year, 30 kilometres of road were done, this year it is intended to do less then two kimometres.
As against that,13 extra kilometres of roadway will be surface dressed, and .9 kilometres extra of road will be asphalt resurfaced.
But, it was that 28 less kilometres less road proposed for bitmac resurfacing that is concerning the Councillors from Erne East.
