Motorists who reported damage to their vehicles caused by potholes received around €1.3 million in compensation from local authorities over the past three years, new figures reveal.
The local authority with the highest payouts for successful claims was Donegal County Council, which paid €340,923 through its insurer since 2023, reports Breaking News.
Cork County Council faced a similar total of €275,439, but this related to 1,175 claims, whereas Donegal’s larger payout covered just 109 claims.
Meath County Council dealt with 556 claims over the three-year period, paying €143,544, while neighbouring Westmeath County Council paid only €11,669 for 43 claims, reports Breaking News.
Galway City Council had the lowest compensation total at €3,765, compared with Galway County Council which paid €37,342 in claims since 2023.
Motorists received €542,382 from local authorities in 2023 alone, with Donegal and Cork accounting for €188,043 and €111,997, respectively, reports Breaking News.
The annual total fell to €383,507 in 2024 and €366,096 last year, bringing the three-year sum to around €1.3 million. The data was supplied by 28 of the state’s 31 local authorities under the Freedom of Information Act.
Cork City Council refused to release the information under the Act, while Carlow and Kerry County Councils did not provide a response within the statutory time limit, reports Breaking News.
Louth County Council had the fourth-highest bill, paying €70,453 to 403 motorists whose vehicles were damaged by potholes.
It was followed by Fingal County Council (€50,681), Tipperary County Council (€50,105), and Galway County Council (€37,342), with Limerick City and County Council next at €36,905, reports Breaking News.
Some of the lowest payouts came from Kilkenny County Council (€4,540), Laois County Council (€5,317), Leitrim County Council (€5,433), and South Dublin County Council (€6,097).
Local authorities are insured against claims through Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurance (IPB), which is owned by its policyholders, reports Breaking News.
Councils are generally not liable for damage caused by normal wear and tear on roads unless there has been negligence or inadequate intervention by the authority.
Many claims relate to instances where potholes had been repaired but the work was not completed to a sufficient standard, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
