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ROADS Service staff were called out to grit a hill at short notice to allow a hearse to reach a chapel for a funeral Mass, councillors have been told.
The incident was highlighted during a discussion on winter gritting and road conditions at a recent meeting of Mid Ulster District Council, where members debated criticism of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and budget constraints facing the service.
SDLP councillor Malachy Quinn said a local family had contacted MLA Patsy McGlone after discovering the hearse carrying their loved one could not reach the chapel due to icy conditions on a hill.
“They said, ‘We can’t get this hearse to the chapel. There’s no way it can get up the hill,’” Cllr Quinn told the meeting.
“Patsy advised them to contact DfI, and within two hours a grit machine was out and the road was treated. The funeral went ahead as planned.
“That shows the dedication of some of the staff on the ground, who will go out of their way to help local families in difficult circumstances.”
Cllr Quinn said he had personal experience of poor travelling conditions across the district, including on main roads, and described the winter maintenance programme as disappointing.
However, he stressed that frontline staff were working under significant constraints.
“I know the staff are doing their best, but policy around what is gritted and when needs to be examined,” he said.
UUP councillor Trevor Wilson also urged colleagues to be realistic when raising concerns about gritting levels and potholes, pointing to budget limitations faced by the department.
Speaking during discussion on a motion related to road maintenance, Cllr Wilson said criticism of DfI should not be viewed as an attack on individual ministers, but acknowledged the challenges involved.
“The roads are in poor shape in some places and there are plenty of potholes, but I believe staff are doing the best they can with what they have,” he said.
He added that while additional funding would be welcome, councillors needed to recognise that ministers could only operate within the budgets allocated to them.
Cllr Wilson also questioned spending priorities, citing a section of the A29 which was not gritted on the same morning funds had been invested in a nearby greenway.
“That money could have been better spent within the Mid Ulster area,” he said.
