ALERT: Warning as Potholes are ‘popping up like mushrooms’ on roads across Limerick
Council official admits crews ‘will not get to every road’ hit by bad weather
CONCERNS have been raised about the condition of local roads across Limerick following the recent bad weather.
The issue was discussed at the February meeting of the Newcastle West Municipal District, where a council official said potholes were “popping up like mushrooms”.
Ahead of the meeting, Councillor Jerome Scanlan submitted a motion calling for “an audit of the arterial roads within Newcastle West be carried out”.
He highlighted concerns over the condition of the N21, which runs through the district.
“I won’t go as far as to say it’s falling apart, but there are major problems,” he said, adding there are also significant issues “on all main arterial roads”, (read story, bottom right).
Cllr Michael Collins, cathaoirleach of the district, warned that “roads have taken a serious hit due to the weather over the last couple months” and that urgent repairs are needed.
Replying to the motion, Ben Noonan, senior executive engineer for the district, said he is “awaiting” the 2026 roads maintenance budget but warned crews “won’t get to every road”.
Mr Noonan said he would be happy to meet with councillors who have concerns about specific potholes that may need to be filled.
Cllr Collins noted that any “pothole I put in is fixed within a week” while Cllr Scanlan complimented the “prompt responses” to councillors’ representations.
Mr Noonan said the district has a full-time patcher machine and that the crews have spent the past six weeks “out with the truck to fill gaps forming [in the road] due to the ice and frost.”
He explained this is an ongoing issue across the country, adding that the roads department “will carry out a review and survey the roads within Newcastle West town.”