There is no excuse for the Environment Minister John Gormley (who has today been made responsible for responding to the ongoing weather and travel crisis) not to immediately and massively expand the national gritting operation.

Within the space of one hour on today’s RTE Liveline radio programme, eleven quarries informed Joe Duffy that they had gritting sand available. One Co. Wicklow based quarry indicated that they had approximately 11,000 tonnes of gritting sand ready to be delivered anywhere in the country to help alleviate the travel and traffic chaos.

Roads (including stretches of some national and key secondary roads) remain extremely dangerous. Pedestrians and commuters also face absolutely treacherous conditions when venturing out on footpaths all over the country.

Minister Gormley must also clarify the 2010 road maintenance grant for Local Authorities which includes the costs for the annual gritting supply allocation. Transport Minister Noel Dempsey stated at the beginning of the week that "the 2010 road allocations will be announced shortly but pending that announcement local authorities have sufficient scope to incur expenditure in this area in the short term and to recoup it following the announcement of the grants."

Many Local Authorities have in effect been left in limbo and do not know how much money they cannot allocate for road gritting measures during the current crisis. One of my own Local Authorities, Fingal County Council has been proactive during the current extreme weather. But Fingal is deciding its own budget today in straitened financial circumstances even though the Council has not been told its allocation for road maintenance for 2010.

Minister Gormley should also liaise with Minister Dermot Ahern and Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy following many commuters' criticism of the perceived lack of presence of the Garda Traffic Corps in central Dublin during the snow traffic chaos yesterday evening.