Ineset: Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) tabled a motion on Rooska Estate in Lisdoonvarna
CALLS have been made for repair works to deteriorating footpaths and roadways at a Lisdoonvarna housing estate, along with a dedicated maintenance budget for older council estates.
The motion, tabled by Cllr Joe Garrihy (FG) at the July meeting of the West Clare Municipal District, seeks a comprehensive assessment of the condition of footpaths, kerbing and internal roadways at Rooska Estate, Lisdoonvarna.
Cllr Garrihy said the motion arose from concerns regularly raised by both elected members and local residents.
He said many families had moved into Rooska Estate 50 to 60 years ago to raise their children and that those residents were now growing older while the estate itself was showing the effects of age and wear.
While welcoming recent investment by the Housing Department, Cllr Garrihy said older local authority estates deserved the same level of maintenance as newer developments.
“We can’t forget old developments that have served the county well,” he said, adding that the issue should be a priority in this year’s budget.
The motion also calls for the establishment of a dedicated municipal district budget, or annual improvement programme, to support planned investment in older council estates, including upgrades to footpaths, roads, public lighting, drainage and other essential infrastructure.
Seconding the proposal, Cllr Shane Talty (FF) said the issue was “not unique to one estate or town” and suggested that legacy estates across the county should be considered as part of future budget discussions.
Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) also supported the motion, saying there was work to be done in Rooska Estate and that carrying out an assessment would ensure issues are “identified and remediated.”
Cathaoirleach of the MD, Cllr Michael Shannon (FF), said a dedicated budget should be established for the replacement of footpaths and resurfacing of roads in older estates.
He said many estates built in the 1970s had “probably only been touched up since”, adding that residents were now older and needed safe footpaths and roads.
“It shouldn’t be a huge budget, but it needs to be addressed and find a resource for it for next year,” he said.
In response, Acting Senior Executive Engineer Paddy Tiernan said a programme of footpath improvement works was already planned to upgrade sections of the pedestrian links between Rooska Estate and Lisdoonvarna town centre.
The works are scheduled to take place later in 2026 and will be funded through the Schedule of Municipal Works.
Mr Tiernan said the municipal district would also undertake an assessment of the footpath and roadway network within the estate before the end of the year to identify maintenance and repair requirements and assist in prioritising future works.
He added that the Housing Department had provided funding to municipal districts in recent years for improvement works in older local authority estates, with a number of West Clare estates benefiting from the investment. The municipal district will now liaise with the Housing and Finance Departments to establish whether similar funding allocations can continue in future years.
–Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
