No funding a poor reflection on council according to Aird

Laois County Council have claimed they do not have the €9,000 needed to install a speed indicator on the three approach roads to Portlaoise.

At the meeting of Portlaoise Town Council in County Hall last week, Cllr Willie Aird said it was a poor reflection on the county council if they could not find the money to install three speed indicators at a cost of €3,000 each.

“People automatically slow down if they’re told what speed they’re doing,” he said.

“The speed indicator on the Mountmellick Road is very good,” agreed Cllr Caroline Dwane, and asked whether one could be put on the Ballyfin Road as well.

“There have been lots of road accidents in the last 12 months, (speed indicators) are great value for money,” said Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald.

Cllr Rotimi Adebari said he recalled that at the council’s budget meeting in December it was revealed that speed indicators would be put on all approach roads.

The councillors were told, in a written reply from PJ Dempsey of the road design office, that the provision of speed indicators would have to be funded from specific road schemes, and at this time there is no funding for any schemes in Portlaoise.

However, Laois County Council engineer, Mr Tom O’Carroll, who present at the meeting, said he would make an effort to apply for more speed indicators for the town.