Mayo road cuts: Minister says councils are partly responsible for funding shortfall

Roadworks programme in Mayo to be cut by 30 percent

By Jack Good Published 25th Jun 2026, 14:32 BST Galway East TD Seán Canney (Ind) Roadworks programme in Mayo to be cut by 30 percent Sign up to our Mayo Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Mayo Live within your account.

Minister of State Seán Canney has pushed back on suggestions that the Government is responsible for road maintenance funding shortfalls being felt by local authorities around the country, telling an Oireachtas committee that the onus is partly on councils themselves to anticipate their needs.

The issue is especially felt in Mayo as The Mayo News reported last month that the roadworks programme in Mayo will be cut by a minimum of 30 percent due to the increased cost of materials caused by the rise in the price of oil.

The Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for roads was before the committee as members signed off on a financial support package for the transport sector following recent fuel price increases — increases that have already forced cuts to roadworks programmes in counties such as Mayo , where councillors were told last month that tender prices had risen by at least 30 percent since the 2026 budget was set, with no extra funding available to bridge the gap.

Read More Blue green algae warning for Mayo due to high temperatures Sad day for north Mayo village following closure of post office Plans submitted for major upgrade of Mayo wastewater treatment plant Mayo councillor overcomes cancer to take chain of county town Independent TD Michael Collins challenged the Minister directly on the issue, telling the committee: "The point I am making is that the local authority would fix the road if it had the money, but it does not."

"It is then the responsibility of local authorities to spend that wisely and make sure they are getting value for money. I know the roads programme is developed by the local authority, brought to councillors and dealt with on that level.”

Responding, Mr Canney said local authorities receive their road funding from the Department of Transport on foot of annual requests, and pointed to last year's allocations as evidence that funding has been rising rather than falling.

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"The local authorities get their funding for the roads from the Department of Transport. They make a request every year for money. Last year, we gave €250 million towards national roads for maintenance. We gave €700 million for regional and local roads and provided €14 million for 33 low-cost access schemes. These figures are increasing," he said.

The Minister said €718 million in total had been allocated for road maintenance and renewal, and that it was then up to local authorities to manage that money effectively.

"It is then the responsibility of local authorities to spend that wisely and make sure they are getting value for money. I know the roads programme is developed by the local authority, brought to councillors and dealt with on that level," he said.

Mr Canney acknowledged that unforeseen issues, such as severe weather events, can create additional pressures that did not exist when budgets were originally drawn up, and said funding is also made available to address those.

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"I know that ongoing issues arise, such as a weather event which leaves problems that did not exist before the weather event. These are also the kinds of areas where funding is given. We have given a lot of money," he said.

He also pointed to continued investment in the Safe Routes to School programme, which he said was helping to provide safer access to schools for children in rural areas.

The exchange comes against a backdrop of mounting frustration at local level, with councillors in Mayo and elsewhere warning that road maintenance budgets are being squeezed by sharply rising oil and material costs, with some elected representatives describing the resulting cuts to roadworks programmes as a blow to rural communities.

Related topics: Mayo Roads Government Budget Sign up to our Mayo Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Mayo Live within your account.