“We need a long-term solution. Until that happens, we’re going to be dealing with the same situation again and again – and it’s a waste of money.”

That’s the blunt assessment from Sinn Féin Councillor for the Lismore area, Donnchadh Mulcahy, who has called for urgent investment in West Waterford’s “crumbling” road network. He says the state of the region’s rural roads has become both an eyesore for tourists and a safety hazard for locals.

Speaking to WLR, Cllr Mulcahy said the problem was not down to local authority effort, but to a chronic shortage of funding from central government.

“You can’t really blame our County Council – they’re working day and night to fill potholes. But a lot of our roads need strengthening at this stage. You’re only putting a plaster on the issue,” he said.

Mulcahy pointed to key stretches of road – including the N72 from Tallow and the main route into Lismore from Cappoquin – as examples of long-promised works that have yet to materialise.

“If you’re coming through our heritage town in Lismore, works have been promised for quite a while. It was pushed back after the school holidays, but the schools are nearly back and the road’s still not done. This is the main road past the castle – we have a lot of tourism in West Waterford, but I’m worrying they’re going to be taking away the ugly look of the road into such a beautiful town.”

While potholes might seem like an inconvenience, Mulcahy warned the stakes are far higher. Road safety, he said, is “paramount”, particularly as national statistics show that most road fatalities happen on regional and local roads.

“This is the time we need to be fixing up our roads for the bad weather to come. We get bad rain, a bit of frost, and the roads are in a bad disgrace again,” he said.

Mulcahy also criticised reductions in funding for local improvement schemes, which help repair smaller rural routes.

“I’ve met people who live on roads that have been waiting for a scheme for over 11 years. This year’s allocation is down on last year – not by much, but we’re still down when we need more. The government keeps saying there’s plenty of money, but here in West Waterford we’re definitely not seeing it.”

He believes rural parts of the county, especially border areas near Tipperary and Cork, are “forgotten about” in comparison to bigger towns.

“Out towards Araglin, it’s kind of no man’s land. That’s where we’re starting to see a lot more issues, more so than in our towns.”

Beyond the condition of the roads, Mulcahy highlighted driver behaviour and the lack of Garda presence in rural areas as compounding factors in increasing numbers of accidents.

“You can change the speed limits, but at the end of the day you need law enforcement to enforce them. We don’t have enough Gardaí here in West Waterford – it’s a fact and everybody knows it.”

Speed limit changes are planned across the county, but Mulcahy said without proper enforcement and significant road upgrades, the changes will have limited effect.

Mulcahy’s message to government is clear: invest now, or see conditions deteriorate further over the winter.

“The south-east seems to get a hammering when it comes to funding. It doesn’t matter what it is – we seem to be last on the government’s list. I just want to highlight it. That’s my job, and I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”

He reiterated that while Waterford County Council crews are quick to fill potholes, this “short-term solution” is costing more in the long run.

“If we do the job right once, then we don’t have to go back filling potholes,” he said. “But until we get the funding, we’ll be back here having the same conversation next year.”

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