Roads will take up most of Athenry Oranmore budget

MORE than 86 per cent of the overall budget in the Athenry-Oranmore Municipal District will be spent on roadworks in 2027.

The draft budget for the MD was passed by councillors last week, with members warned that the provided figures are “only indicative”.

The new budget accounts for a total expenditure of €5.29 million with an increase of just over €160,000 on the budget for 2026. Road maintenance once again remains the district’s biggest cost, accounting for more than 86 per cent of the MD’s expenses at €4.57 million.

Apart from the road maintenance, around €231,000 has been allocated to housing and buildings, €159,000 to Economic Development, €240,000 to environmental services and a little over €49,000 has been allocated to recreation and amenities in the area.

Corrandulla Cllr James Charity raised concerns about the distribution of local authority funding and questioned the formula used in making such decisions.

He said that only ten per cent of the overall county budget is “coming to the MD” which is “still not the sticking point” for the members of Athenry-Oranmore MDC.

“I can understand the allocation to roads is dependent on the length of road, but when it comes to economic development contribution why is the MD getting just over ten per cent?” questioned Cllr Charity.

Director of Finances Katie O’Connor explained that there is no “master recipe” for these allocations and no methods to balance each one out.

The draft budget passed by other Municipal Districts in the North East Galway area, highlight a significant funding gap, as Tuam MD has been allocated close to €10.3 million while Ballinasloe MD is on course to spend almost €11.3 million in 2027.