Frustration at two year wait for roundabout bricks removal

A county councillor has voiced his frustration at having to wait two years to have a pile of bricks removed from a roundabout outside his town.

The bricks on the roundabout on the Dublin side of Kinnegad have been there for the best part of two years, according to Cllr Denis Leonard. They were dislodged from the side of the roundabout when a vehicle collided with it.

Although the roundabout is a stone's throw from the centre of Kinnegad, it is located on the Meath side of the border line and it's maintenance is the responsibility of Meath County Council.

Cllr Leonard says that having a pile of bricks at such a prime location on the outskirts of Kinnegad has led to the town losing marks in the last two Tidy Towns competitions.

Speaking at the September meeting of Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District (MKMD), Cllr Leonard said that he had raised the issue at a previous meeting and voiced his frustration that the bricks had not been removed.

“The roundabout going into Kinnegad from Dublin, thousands of people go by it or round it every day and see a large pile of bricks on it. They will see that they have been there for a couple of years.

“I had a commitment from everyone here months ago that we would liaise with Meath County Council...

“Surely we have better cooperation and lines of communication open that we can't get onto Trim Local District Office. I have been onto them. I have been onto Damien English. I have been onto the county manager in Meath because no one is this county seems to be able to liaise with anyone in that county.

Responding to Cllr Leonard's question, MKMD said that Meath County Council “have advised that weeding and general maintenance [on the roundabout] will be placed on Trim Municipal District's Maintenance List, and they will be addressed as soon as resources allow.”

Cllr Leonard said that while he was “not being critical", he "can't understand why a Tidy Towns group two years in a row lost a whole load of points because a roundabout going into their town has a large pile of bricks on it and no one is allowed to fix it other than Meath County Council and they refuse to do it.”

Director of Services David Jones said that Meath County Council gave a commitment and that “if nothing happens, we can follow it up”.