Beware of DIY pothole jobs – all community works must have official sanction

By TONY GALVIN UNDER no circumstances should individuals or community groups undertake DIY pothole repairs on the countyâ€â„¢s deteriorating roads as the legal and financial consequences for those involved could be â€Å“absolutely horrificâ€Â according to the man with responsibility for maintaining the network. Director of Service for Roads and Transportation with Galway Co Council, Frank Gilmore, told The Herald that under no circumstances should any unauthorised repair work be carried out on public roads, no matter what difficulties are being experienced. There is concern that the announcement that the Government has established a €10m fund for minor road repair, on condition that communities availing of it meet a significant proportion, up to 50 per cent of the costs, could prompt a spate of unofficial DIY road repair projects. The facility in the scheme for community groups to provide direct labour is what is causing most concern for officials, as it is feared this provision could be misinterpreted as a signal to begin DIY works. The scheme applies to local roads, including country lanes and boreens. Typical is a €3,000 project in Bullaun, Corofin to carry out drainage and resurfacing works. The community contribution is €1,500. The Department of Transport has contacted Galway Co Council along with all other local authorities and asked them to identify community groups, organisations and individuals who might be prepared to take on the repair of potholes and other minor works in their areas. Hundreds of groups have already applied nationally. Applicants can either fund raise or provide labour. In some case group of farmers have banded together to pay for the repair of local roads.[private] Launching the scheme Junior Minister Allan Kelly explained the scheme was designed to cater for emergency works only. â€Å“This pilot Community Involvement in Road Works Scheme is purely a voluntary scheme and is available to give local communities the opportunity to have these works completed where they would not normally be considered for funding.â€Â Of particular concern is reports of DIY pothole repairs being carried out on Co Galwayâ€â„¢s 5,456km network of local roads. Pressure on local reps Local representatives are coming under increasing pressure to respond to complaints over the state of the countyâ€â„¢s roads. The issue is now raised at almost every meeting of the Co Council and there is anecdotal evidence of cars failing NCT checks because of a rise in shock-absorber and suspension damage, blamed on potholes. Director Frank Gilmore warned potential DIY road repair crews: â€Å“I cannot emphasise enough to people that this is a legal quagmire. A potential nightmare. People may think what they are doing is useful and helpful but we are a very litigious people and if even the slightest accident or injury resulted from a DIY road repair then the consequences for those involved could be ruinous,â€Â Frank Gilmore warned. He went on to say that that he was not talking about a trip on a footpath here. If a school bus, for instance, was involved in an accident in any way even remotely connected with a DIY pothole repair, then the cost and legal nightmare could only be imagined. â€Å“My advice is to steer clear of any such action. Contact your local Co Council Area Office and report any problems and weâ€â„¢ll do our best to get to them as soon as possible,â€Â he advised. Co Galwayâ€â„¢s road network incorporates 6,727km of roads but the vast majority of this comes under the local roads category. 5,456km of roadway is classified local roads while just 93km is classified National Primary. 93km are motorway, 289 National Secondary and 827 Regional. Broken down in terms of percentage, local roads make up 81 per cent of the total, National Primary two per cent, National Secondary four per cent and Regional Roads 12 per cent. Freezing weather, lack of essential maintenance and sporadic flooding have contributed to the poor state of road surfaces in many areas. The Co Council is endeavouring to keep on top of the situation by allocating resources to locations where the need is greater but without available funding the issue will continue to pose problems. The message from Galway Co Council is to be wary of DIY solutions. All community initiatives should be carried out in conjunction with the proper authorities and solo runs are not advised, no matter how gaping the pothole.[/private]