Wistfully nostalgic recollections of the period of time when local authority road workers proliferated across North Monaghan and could give close and consistent attention to ensuring the proper drainage of local roads were heard at Monday’s meeting of the Monaghan Municipal District.
A debate on the need to keep water off the surface of rural roads to prevent their structure deteriorating provided some insightful contrasts between local government employment levels of the 1980s and the modern era, and how approaches to road maintenance had consequently altered over time. The issue was raised by Sinn Féin councillor Cathy Bennett, who referred to the Municipal District surfacing dressing programme and said that there used to be a plan under which tabling work was carried out to the sides of roads on a regular basis to make sure that water would get away.
She said that roads were badly broken up in some areas at present, and suggested that the return to such a plan would ensure that this did not happen. “Would you consider getting this practice going again to ensure the drainage of roads?” Councillor Bennett asked the MD executive. Municipal District Co-ordinator Donal McElwain said that, while tabling and cleaning of drains and gulleys did take place, there were a lot more workmen involved in this work a number of years ago and the work was done more regularly. The Municipal District had a crew that picked up the drainage work on regional and local roads…
