Madam, - I am moved to write in frustration after a decade of efforts to have Galway County Council address the deteriorating condition of the public road which runs past my home on Inishbofin.
This is the busiest road on the island and passes eight feet from my front door. On the other side is a drop of 10 feet into a field. The road sits on a clay foundation with a stone facing on the steep side.
Over the past 10 years or so the road has been sinking noticeably and the stone-faced support on the other side is bulging. For many years now there has been a steady flow of traffic unsuited to this brittle thoroughfare. As well as cars there is frequent passage of loaded tractors and dumpers.
The narrow frontage to my home is regularly used as a lay-by. The house vibrates with the passage of heavy vehicles and there is a crack in the front wall.
The road is clearly in need of maintenance to prevent its further deterioration and more damage to my house. I fear for the structure and safety of my home and have been pleading with the authorities and political representatives since 1994 to take some action.
All my efforts to improve the road and protect my house have been in vain. The road patently needs to be widened and a battery built on its steep side.
I am at my wits' end regarding this matter and wonder if it must take a spectacular collapse or accident before something is done about it. - Yours, etc.,
Mrs FRANCES
CONCANNON,
The Terrace,
Inishbofin,
Co Galway.