Rural road maintenance is ‘in crisis’ after fuel inflation caused many local councils to blow through their budgets, Extra.ie has learned.

Local roads have been left damaged, potholed or even shut in some regions since the start of the year, amid growing fears that their deterioration could lead to ‘serious accidents or fatalities’.

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has acknowledged that several local authorities are ‘under pressure’ financially and has directed them to prioritise road maintenance projects.

But, in a brewing row, Extra.ie has learned of at least five local councils that may be forced to fund roadwork programmes from their own budgets as grant money has come up short.

In a detailed briefing to politicians last week, Tipperary County Council said it will cost its roads department an additional €400,000 to complete all maintenance works this year.

It claimed that increases to fuel and resource costs since February have compounded pre-existing inflationary pressures brought on by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Tipperary County Council claimed last week that the value of annual grants has been eroded by €3.4million due to inflation and that it has faced an additional monthly burden of €40,000.

Concerns over underfunding have also been cited by councillors at Cork County Council, Mayo County Council, Wexford County Council and Wicklow County Council.

In response to parliamentary questions last week, Fianna Fáil minister Mr O’Brien said he was ‘aware of the pressures local authorities are under to deliver their work programmes’.

The Dublin Fingal East TD warned that the increasing cost of oil, due to the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran this year, ‘may impact contracts, prices and outputs’.

‘As such, it is likely that local authorities may have to undertake additional prioritisation to account for this,’ he said, adding that all councils are ‘advised’ to set money aside for road maintenance.

Tipperary County Council told politicians last Friday that the value of its own funding has fallen by more than €3.8million due to inflation.

It claimed that while it held €9.97million in its own funds this year, its value ‘in real terms’ was now just €6.14million.

The council’s management said inflation has had the same impact on its discretionary grant, from Government, and other grants it receives from Transport Infrastructure Ireland.

Fine Gael Tipperary South TD Michael Murphy, chairman of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, told Extra.ie that additional costs are impacting the maintenance of rural roads.

He said: ‘The condition of our… local road network – particularly here in Tipperary – is in crisis. ‘For the Department [of Transport] to suggest setting aside contingencies and to look at own resources – the reality is that most local authorities, and Tipperary is no different, they’re in the eye of a perfect storm when it comes to resources.’

Mr Murphy added that while the ‘vast majority’ of the national road network is in ‘relatively good condition’, he believes ‘it’s the local road network where we’re really struggling’.

A ringfenced fund, worth €718million, was allocated in Budget 2026 for regional and local road maintenance, which was paid out to local councils this year in grant funding.

Local authorities are tasked with the improvement and maintenance of these roads and apply for funding for these works to cover the costs.

Projects are selected by local councils. Mr O’Brien, who has not confirmed if new funding will be made available this year, said the length of the local roads network is taken into consideration in the value of the grants.

Several councillors in counties Tipperary, Mayo and Cork have cited the size of their local road networks as a key constraint to keeping on top of maintenance programmes and budgets.

Labour councillor Cathal Rasmussen, chairman of the Cork County Council roads committee, told Extra.ie: ‘I have no doubt we’re going to be under pressure, for sure.’

Mr Rasmussen explained that cost constraints have not impacted the county as its area managers agreed to maintenance contracts before prices increased at the start of the year.

He added, however: ‘Contractors come in and give a price per metre, but the price is going up. Therefore, we’ll see the same amount of money, but we’ll be spending for less metres.’

Others, including Tipperary County Council, have also noted that unscheduled works have increased after extreme weather events during winter months.

In January, Storm Chandra wreaked havoc, causing €59million worth of damage to the roads network, with Wexford and Wicklow among the worst-affected counties.

Fine Gael Wicklow-Wexford TD Brian Brennan recently highlighted the need for emergency funding for his respective counties’ local councils following the storm at the beginning of this year.

He told Extra.ie it was ‘wrong’ that Wexford County Council and Wicklow County Council have been forced to wait more than six months for the funding to be paid out.

Mr Brennan said Storm Chandra significantly impacted his constituency’s road networks and brought on unplanned maintenance works.

‘We’re not looking for funding to fill potholes, else we’ll be back here again this time next year,’ he said. ‘What we need to do is do a proper job. Resurface these roads, with proper waterproofing, looking at drainage, or else, as I said, we’re back here again in 12 months’ time.’

Mr Brennan explained that the local roads are rural passages that families and workers use to get to and from school or work each day and have been left in disrepair for months.

‘My honest fear is, if something is not done shortly, we’ll have a serious accident or, God forbid, a fatality,’ he said, adding that there must be a ‘proper mechanism’ for emergency funding.

Mr Brennan said Wexford’s and Wicklow’s funding requests, €15million and €20million respectively, have been ‘slipping between’ the departments of Transport and Public Expenditure.

A Department of Transport spokesman said it continues to ‘work closely with all local authorities’ on the matter. He noted: ‘Exchequer funding for regional and local roads is intended to supplement realistic contributions from local authorities’ own resources.

‘Local authorities are also advised to set aside a contingency from department allocations and own resources for severe weather events.’

The department said it has liaised with local councils impacted by Storm Chandra and that the payout of emergency funds is a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure.