A failure of epic proportions is how Mayo Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony has described the mismanagement by the Government and its agency National Road Authority which was placed in charge to deal with obtaining salt. Salt quantities in the country are diminishing by the day and local authorities have to mix salt and grit to treat the roads. It now appears that no more salt will be in the country until the end of the week, too late for the Christmas shopping season.
“At the outset I want to say that none of this is to criticise in any way the work carried out by the local authorities who are doing their best in very trying circumstances,” Dep O’Mahony said. “Mayo County Council staff is working all the hours that they possibly can to keep people moving and have responded to emergency call outs, but their hands are tied because of the inefficiency of the Government and the NRA.”
“It’s been an unmitigated disaster. How difficult can it have been for the Government to have planned to have had enough of salt to deal with this weather following the extreme weather suffered last year? Why can’t it be stockpiled? But again, it’s about planning and thinking ahead and when it comes to those two things, the Government and NRA don’t seem too capable or competent to deal with the issue. Someone must be held responsible for this disaster. The reality is that the failure by the NRA and Government to have properly managed the controversy is costing the retail sector of this country millions in lost business because in what should be the busiest week of the year, people are unable to get to the shops. The knock-on effect will be that some businesses will go to the wall in the New Year and jobs will be lost.”
