The number of pothole-related complaints lodged with county councils across Ireland has soared by 92% in the past three years, new figures reveal.
Data released under the Freedom of Information Act shows that nearly 50,000 complaints were made between 2022 and 2024, highlighting growing frustration among motorists over deteriorating road conditions.
Cork tops the list, with more than 14,000 complaints filed across its two local authorities, three times more than any other county. Dublin followed with just over 5,000 complaints, with Kerry, Limerick and Meath rounding out the top five.
At the other end of the spectrum, Kildare recorded just 99 complaints during the three-year period, the lowest in the country followed by Leitrim, Carlow, Longford and Donegal.
Cork City Councillor John Maher described the conditions when speaking to Newstalk, he said that it's like "like walking on the moon" in parts of the County.
He cited two key factors behind the worsening problem: inadequate funding for local authorities and substandard road restoration by utility companies after works are carried out.
"Local authorities across the country are not funded adequately to address the issues that we face in 2025," Maher said. "In my experience in Cork City Council, the amount of work being carried out by utility companies and the roads not being restored to a proper standard has been another factor."
The surge in complaints has been matched by a sharp increase in compensation payouts, which more than doubled between 2022 and 2024 to nearly €1 million nationwide.
Cork again led the way, with €283,465 paid out to 1,283 drivers, more than double the compensation issued by Meath County Council (€116,222) and significantly more than the €102,722 paid out across Dublin’s four councils.
Louth, despite being the smallest county in Ireland, had the fourth-highest compensation total at €61,736, more than €15,000 above Tipperary.
An analysis of local authority spending on road maintenance and improvement shows stark differences across the country. Cork’s two councils spent over €395 million between 2021 and 2023—well ahead of Dublin, where the combined spend across four councils totalled €350 million.
Carlow spent the least during that time, allocating just €35.8 million, followed by Longford, Leitrim, Westmeath and Sligo, each of which spent around €58 million.
Road maintenance includes everything from pothole repair to winter salting, while improvement work involves major upgrades such as junction enhancements and lane additions.
Six local authorities were unable to provide full figures on pothole complaints. Sligo and Wicklow only log complaints in certain areas, while Offaly, Mayo, Laois and Galway County Councils do not maintain centralised records.
Compensation claims for pothole damage are handled by Irish Public Bodies (IPB), the insurer for local authorities. Claims are only approved in cases where a council was notified of a pothole and failed to act in a timely or adequate manner.
