Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council Kevin Callan has described as shambolic the traffic management arrangements and pedestrian access around works being conducted to implement pedestrian crossings in Dunleer.

The Independent Councillor said that following a road traffic collision involving a child that he had had to raise the matter with the council to review the traffic management expected to be involved in the works.

This simply is not good enough, the works near Centra in particular have been left with no safe route for pedestrians except to walk out unguarded onto the road where people are correctly complaining about. This section of road is tight in terms of traffic flow even without the works that are underway.

Cllr Callan said that, "public contracts require standards and they are clearly not being met in this instance. Over the weekend the site was left with barriers thrown all over the road and footpath leaving pedestrians walking on unfinished path surfaces and with no safety walking out onto the road".

"I have raised this matter with the out of hours emergency service of the Council over the weekend and I have also raised the matter with Council management".

"Any company taking on works through a public contract that is paid for with taxpayers money must be held to acceptable Health and Saftey standards and I am concerned about the level of H&S currently being implemented.

"This comes days after a young person was involved in a road traffic incident in the immediate vicinity and the site has been unoccupied and there are no visible signs of supervision or inspection by the contractors with all related barriers and cones scattered throughout the area".