FIGURES showing Fermanagh roads have less defects than other parts of the North have been received with extreme skepticism locally, with concern the Roads Service is not recording the full extent of the county’s problems.
A report delivered to the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s rural affairs committee provided a range of figures regarding defects and repairs on local roads, as well spending on water infrastructure.
While compiled by Council officials, the report was based on figures provided by the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) roads division and NI Water.
The report showed that in 2019-20, a total of 8,949 surface defects were repaired across the area.
This fell to a low of 7,412 in 2022-23, before jumping to 11,736 in 2023-24, accounting for a 58 percent year-on-year increase.
Despite the rise, the report notes the number of surface defects repaired per kilometre in the area remains consistently below the Northern Ireland local government district average.
Over the five-year period, this gap ranged between 0.9 and 1.4 fewer repairs per kilometre, placing the area among the lowest in the North.
Speaking at last week’s rural affairs committee meeting, Cllr Sheamus Greene noted the report showed there were 33 percent more repairs being carried out on roads in other parts of the North than here in Fermanagh and Omagh.
Cllr Greene also questioned whether there really were less defects on local roads than elsewhere, noting that when the Roads Service came out to inspect a road they often marked one pothole for repair, but left others beside it unmarked.
“I don’t know whether that happens in Antrim or Down or Bangor or wherever, so it’s almost impossible to know if that’s accurate or not,” he said. “If they are not marking defects and registering them, of course ours is going to come back as having less defects.
“Not for one second do I think our roads in Fermanagh and Omagh have less defects than roads in any of the other council areas, I would find that impossible to believe.”
Cllr Greene also noted Fermanagh and Omagh had a much higher number of U and C class roads than other parts of the North.
“The fact they’re only being inspected every six months surely also skews the statistics on that,” he said.
Cllr Allan Rainey said he agreed entirely with Cllr Greene’s sentiments, and asked how the DfI arrived at their statistics, particularly with the minor roads.
“I would question it altogether,” he said. “I would say if this was looked at on a more regular basis it would be much higher because the roads, I have in mind and can visualise. Unbelievable.”
Cllr John McClaughry, who was chairing the meeting, added his own two cents, “There’s one beside me, it was two potholes but they’ve no conjoined and it’s just one big large one. So statistically that was two potholes, now it’s just one.”
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