THE harsh weather has caused €6 million worth of damage to roads in North Cork, councillors at the Kanturk Area meeting heard on Monday.

However, with only €1.6 million in emergency funding available for the area the outlook is bleak for an early remedy to motorists' road woes.

And with Councillor Timmy Collins (Indp) lamenting the state of a road in Rockchapel, which he said wasn't fit for a tractor to drive on, it certainly doesn't look like any secondary roads in Duhallow will get a major facelift as the council coffers are increasingly bare.

Senior council official Aidan Weir told the councillors that a lot of work needs to be done to roads in the North Cork division. "The indications that we are getting is that there will not be specific funding provided for this. €1.6 million was given in emergency funding for the flood in November but, like everything, the roads that need repair will cost money," said Mr Weir.

Cllr Collins (Ind) said a three and a half mile stretch of road from Meeleen in Rockchapel to the Limerick county bounds was in a horrific state. He said that Coillte owned the land at either side of the road and suggested that they pay for part restructuring of the road.

Cllr Collins also said a two and a half mile stretch of road at Clough, Rockchapel was so bad that it wasn't even fit for a tractor.

Mr Weir said that, unfortunately, a number of roads in the Duhallow catchment were in need of repair. He said to repair a two and a half mile road would cost in the region of €200,000.

"At the moment, Cork County Council are trying to deal with the main roads which have heavy traffic flow, but we will look at the road that you are referring to and see what we can do," Mr Weir told Cllr Collins.

Still on the subject of roads, Mr Weir also said the road at Lombardstown, about six miles from Mallow, was in a "particularly bad" shape as was the junction leading off the Mallow road towards Kanturk. He said the NRA (National Roads Authority) were working at both sections of road and CCC hopes they will include it in their lists of repairs in the next few weeks.

- MARIA HERLIHY MHERLIHY@CORKMAN.IE