The large drop in outdoor staff working with the County Council has led to a sharp decline in the maintenance of towns and villages across the county.
This week's Council meeting heard that the Council has lost 382 outdoor staff over the last 15 years, with 780 employed this year in outdoor roles.
Between 2008 and 2015 there was a 25% reduction in staff retained by the County Council, falling from 1,162 in January 2008, down to 863 by January 2015. The reductions occurred when a recruitment ban was in place.
Local councillors have expressed concern at the impact the falling numbers are having.
Councillors pointed to the fact that there is a rising population across the county and it's vital that services keep step with this.
Cllr. Seamus McGrath says the figures are extremely disappointing and says the drop in the number of outdoor staff is evidence that the Council is extremely thin on the ground.
He added that outdoor services are absolutely critical to services the council provides, and they cannot rely on voluntary groups to provide the work the council should provide
The Echo reports that Cllr. Declan Hurley outlined that in his area of Dunmanway, there has been a reduction of outdoor staff from 30 down to 13 in recent years.
He pointed out that signposts around the county are illegible because they are overgrown and dirty and the council lacks the staff to clean and maintain them.
The Council meeting heard that people pay the Local Property Tax in the expectation that it is used on council services such as roads and footpaths.
Council Chief Executive Tim Lucey said the Tidy Towns and the work done by other community groups is greatly appreciated and said the time for a discussion was during the Budget formation, and called for a proper assessment of the numbers.
