A local election candidate has claimed that Kerry County Council’s defence of its output on the Local Improvement Scheme is in tatters.
The council had said that comparisons in terms of the number of roads upgraded under the scheme with other local authorities were not fair or reasonable.
Fine Gael candidate in the Corca Dhuibhne Local Electoral Area, Tommy Griffin, has now said that Kerry County Council’s delivery per metre is also not value for money.
Mr Griffin claimed it was costing Kerry County Council more money to repair roads than it was costing Mayo County Council, given the number of roads completed in Mayo and the relevant funding they were given.
Figures released to him from the Department suggested the average cost per road under the Local Improvement Scheme in Kerry is around €67,000, but is just €18,000 in Mayo.
Kerry County Council’s response was that this was not a fair or reasonable comparison, as every road is a different length, and analysing square meterage cost would be more accurate.
The subject was again raised at this month’s meeting of Kerry County Council, during which councillors said they didn’t feel Kerry was getting bang for its buck with this scheme.
Tommy Griffin has now responded to the council’s defence of its delivery of the scheme, claiming Mayo County Council completed 55% more road area in the last four years for 13% less money than Kerry.
Figures from the Department show Kerry County Council completed 62,630 metres of road under the LIS in the last four years, whereas Mayo County Council completed over 101,000 metres.
The total area of road completed in Kerry under the LIS from 2020 to 2023 inclusive, was over 201,000 square metres, while Mayo completed over 312,000 square metres.
Mr Griffin claims Kerry County Council’s defence of its delivery under the scheme is in tatters, and has called on the council to explain the difference in the price of roads under the scheme in Kerry.
He says the cost of completing roads in Kerry is slowing progress on the waiting list, and is a bad return for taxpayers.
In response, Kerry County Council has said it is currently examining the figures, and it submits its proposals for the LIS each year and the Department has never raised any issues of concern.
