asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if steps have been taken by his Department to see that county councils have tarred roads specially repaired so that horses can travel with safety, and if he is aware that accidents are happening daily owing to this necessary work not being done.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Repair of Tarred Roads.
This matter has been raised on several occasions recently, and I would refer the Deputy to the terms of the reply I gave to a question on the 2nd March last. There is no evidence in my Department that accidents are happening daily which could be attributed to the slipperiness of the road surfaces. Experience has shown that many horses used on roads are incorrectly shod. The Department of Agriculture issued a revised memorandum on this matter towards the end of last year, and I am arranging to send the Deputy a copy of it.
The development of non-slippery economical road surfaces is constantly in the mind of road engineers, and although every new suggestion is carefully examined no definite progress has been made. The surfaces of roads suitable for modern traffic are hard and smooth and, except in the case of very expensive surfaces, they become slippery in use. The present surfaces of most of the main roads have been provided at considerable cost and they were not developed solely for the motorist. They are dust-free, waterproof and of reasonable life—important factors in the life and economy of the community. It is sometimes overlooked that the improvement in road surfaces has made haulage easier. Less tractive effort is required and consequently horses that are properly shod can do more work for the same expenditure of energy than they did formerly on the more uneven, rougher roads.