Fear over severe winter response

A delegation from Tipperary Co Council met with Government ministers in Dublin before Christmas amid fear over the local authority’s ability to respond to another severe weather event.

The week-long freezing spell that struck last January cost the council around a million euro, which equated to its entire winter maintenance budget. Speaking on the eve of the first anniversary of that event at their budget 2026 meeting, several councillors expressed concern over the impact of a similar, or worse, event this winter. Cllr Seán Ryan recalled how people in upland parts of Tipperary could not get out their homes for a week last January. He wanted to see the council budgeting more severe weather funding.

Cllr Anne Marie Ryan said the council sought additional funding from the Government in the aftermath of that weather event, and also the subsequent Storm Éowyn. The council had sought €700,000 but had not received anything.

Director of Services Liam Brett spoke highly of the council’s response to last year’s severe weather event, in which it was able to keep 20 percent of routes open. But he confirmed that the council remains at a loss of the money it spent in tackling the two serious weather events last January.

Chief Executive Sinéad Carr also voiced concern about the impact of hazardous weather this winter. “If we get a similar event next year and we don’t get extra money, we’re going to be in difficulty,” Ms Carr told the meeting.

‘ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM’

The meeting heard of contingency steps the council has put in place to deal with another severe weather event, including working with community groups that could help with the response, and compiling its own vulnerable persons list; the HSE would not provide such a list for GDPR reasons.

But the roads debate was dominated by dismay over inflation eating into the council’s resources. Around €3 million of the €10 million that the council had allocated to road works in 2026 from its own funds would be lost to inflation, the meeting was informed.

This was for Cllr David Dunne the “elephant in the room”, as no matter what the council tried to do next year, it would never be able to keep in line with inflation.

Cllr Michael O’Meara wanted to see more funding for roads in rural areas. Agriculture in Tipperary alone was contributing €2 billion to the national economy, yet Cllr O’Meara had farmers telling him that they could not get milk lorries or meal trucks, let alone couriers, to access their farms due to the condition of roads in some areas.

Roads funding nationally had diminished from €700 million in the Celtic Tiger years to just €300 million now, and Tipperary is “on the clippings of tin”, he said.

Cllr Joe Hannigan agreed that Tipperary needs a far greater allocation of roads funding, or much of the good roads work carried out over the last 10 years would be lost.

“We’re down €3 million,” he said of the loss to inflation. “Why are we allowing that to happen?”

Mr Brett concurred about the need for extra funding but he also mentioned several major capital projects that would see €2 billion invested in Tipperary over the coming 10 years, among them the Latteragh road realignment project, construction of which is now underway.

MEETING WITH MINISTER

Several councillors called on the executive to write to Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien seeking a meeting over roads funding for Tipperary.

A meeting with Minister O’Brien, along with Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne, took place at Leinster House. A delegation from the council was comprised of the CEO, the Director of Services for Roads, Cathaoirleach Cllr John Carroll, and the five municipal district Cathaoirligh.

Local TD Ryan O’Meara said he organised the meeting at the request of Fianna Fáil councillors.

“Since Covid, and particularly the commencement of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, we have seen inflation impacting on the council’s ability to provide the level of services required under current funding models,” Deputy O’Meara stated. The purpose of the meeting was, he said, to discuss increased funding for Tipperary County Council for roads and transportation, as well as general local authority funding.

“With the inclusion of the Thurles bypass, the Thurles Inner Relief Road, the Latteragh realignment, and the N24 enhancement in the National Development Plan, the Fianna Fáil team in Tipperary want to see as much funding as possible delivered to Tipperary to advance these strategic projects,” Deputy O’Meara said.