Storm Éowyn: Grit’s a great idea

A Cork county councillor has called for a new scheme inviting residents in communities across the county to take on salt and gritting duties during extreme weather events.

Independent councillor Peter O’Donoghue said the idea came from a conversation with a shopkeeper in the village of Araglin which sits on the border between counties Cork, Tipperary, and Waterford.

The Fermoy councillor said that during the recent extreme cold weather, the Tipperary and Cork roads in Araglin were reported as being noticeably icier than the roads in the Waterford portion of the village.

“The difference was that Waterford County Council had given local farmers salt and grit and these farmers were actively spreading that salt and grit on the Waterford roads,” Cllr O’Donoghue said at Monday’s meeting of Cork County Council.

“It made a massive difference to the condition of the Waterford roads in the area which was very noticeable when compared to the Cork and Tipperary roads,” he added.

Cllr O’Donoghue suggested that the scheme would invite builders, farmers, or any other individual capable of storing and spreading salt and grit, to take part. The individual would be paid a yearly amount for storage and further compensated if and when they are called upon.

“This scheme would make a considerable difference to local and regional roads in county Cork during extreme cold weather events,” said Cllr O’Donoghue.

Over 4,500 tonnes of salt were used by Cork County Council in the days and weeks following heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures earlier this month.

Responding to Cllr O’Donoghue’s motion, Niall Healy, Divisional Manager, Cork County Council, said the council’s Winter Service Plan provides a protocol for dealing with winter weather conditions on the roads.

He said: “It is not feasible to treat all public throughfares, so roads are treated on a priority basis. Available resources in the form of gritting trucks and snow ploughs are proportional to this objective.”