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Harkin slates gritting response
08.01.10
NORTH and West MEP
Marian Harkin has urged the Government to guarantee
payment to road salt importers as one of its first
emergency responses to the winter weather crisis.
Ms Harkin said importers should be assured that all
tonnage would be paid for while providing funds to
local authorities to source gritting material at
local level. |
“If Joe Duffy’s
Liveline programme could, in ten minutes, identify
the availability of huge quantities of gritting
material, some of it offered free to local
authorities, it should not be too difficult for a
Government emergency committee to organise access to
materials and co-ordinate with local authorities and
the voluntary sector in freeing up roads throughout
the country," said Marian Harkin.
She said the Government response to the winter
emergency to date had been "negligible". |
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"With the prospect of
ten further days of frozen conditions, the priority
must be to create road conditions which do not leave
anybody marooned in their houses.
“The main requirement to achieve this is
availability of salt or other effective gritting
material and this will only happen if the Government
guarantees payment that all tonnage will be paid
for.
“Local authorities will not pay for salt to
stockpile in the expectation of future use and it is
up to the Government to step in and provide the
necessary assurance of payment for the volumes of
materials required. This is the type of practical
action which the Government must take if it is to
have any affect on the present problem." |
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