Why are roads still overtaking housing in Mayo's spending priorities?

by Caoimhín Rowland

According to the local authority finance website, Mayo County Council spends less than half of the national average on housing.

So, where does the rest of the money go? Roads, of course.

In 2025, Mayo County Council has a budget of €213.5 million, or €1,547 per person.

Of this, just 18.4% (€281.41 per person) is allocated to housing, while a staggering 29.45% is funnelled into maintaining local roads, public lighting and parking facilities.

That’s almost double the national average spent on roads.

A political priority because voters have allowed roads to become the pinnacle at the expense of everything else.

By contrast, Wicklow County Council sets the standard in housing investment.

There are developments in the Tánaiste’s area which shows signs of a booming trade. Housing developments dominate due to the area's proximity to the capital and DART/Dublin Bus transport connections, but that’s not the sole reason. Wicklow County Council dedicates 36.76% of its budget to housing while only 18% goes to roads. An inverse of Mayo’s figures.

This isn’t by accident - it’s by design, with Wicklow’s councillors prioritising sheltering their constituents over a fresh layer of tarmac.

Mayo’s road-heavy spending reflects political priorities. Yes, the county has more roads than many others, and maintenance is costly. But it also highlights how politicians operate.

Every five years, councillors answer to their constituents, and votes are secured through visible, immediate improvements - like smoother roads.

Conversely, there’s little political gain in backing social housing. Politicians are often at the mercy of vocal NIMBY homeowners who resist new housing developments in their areas.

The pattern is clear, prioritising roads and appeasing homeowners wins votes, whereas supporting social housing does not.

The result sees just 20 homes available to rent privately on Daft.ie and a proliferation of homeless shelters across the county, with housing offices informing those without a home that there is nothing available for them.

Meanwhile, young people - those locked out of homeownership - are either too disillusioned to vote or have already left for Australia, with more set to follow.

This political reality only reinforces the cycle: councillors see little incentive to push for housing solutions when the most affected demographic remains largely disengaged.

Mayo’s councillors must bite the bullet. If they won’t prioritise housing now - four years ahead of the next local elections and amidst the worst housing crisis in recent history - when will they?

Emergency shelters are increasingly in demand across the county. A recent controversy in Westport highlighted that even local councillors and local authority figures were unaware of new shelter developments.

Homeless individuals are being temporarily housed in Charlestown and other areas, but this is a stopgap solution, not a sustainable one. People need permanent, secure housing, not a patchwork of emergency measures.

Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf recently criticised Minister for Housing James Browne’s plan to ease lending rules for developers. But Makhlouf pointed to a deeper issue: planning.

The problem isn’t funding - Mayo and Ireland has available cash reserves. Instead, it’s bureaucratic red tape and an overwhelming number of appeals to An Bord Pleanála that stall development.

This is where Mayo County Council has a clear remit. The reopening of local area plans and serviced sites provides a crucial opportunity for action.

If this council wants to leave a meaningful legacy, it must ensure that these barriers are addressed and resolved before the next election cycle.

Last year’s local elections demonstrated a clear trend: voters used their ballots to express frustration with national issues. Ironically, parochial concerns dominated the national vote.

This blurred the lines between local and national responsibilities, yet the reality remains the same - unless there is a marked increase in housing availability across all social classes, this council’s effectiveness will come under serious scrutiny and the social contract severed, leading many to run towards political extremes.

A major obstacle to housing expansion is the absence of small to medium-sized developers in the market.

The risks associated with navigating Ireland’s labyrinthine planning system are simply too high.

It’s not a shortage of builders that’s holding Mayo back - many are eager to implement innovative, cost-effective construction methods. Rather, it’s an ingrained resistance to change.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results.

Yet, in Mayo, this approach seems preferable to trying something new.

If this council is to be remembered for anything other than roadworks, it must take decisive action - before another generation of young people packs up and leaves.