Members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have rejected a response from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) which set out the criteria used to assess the performance of the JCB Pothole Probe against the existing repair methods.

The correspondence, from the Divisional Roads Manager, was discussed at the Environmental Services Committee and referenced “numerous factors, based on years of experience in the industry, when assessing the performance of any new plant and equipment or work method against existing practices”.

It was stated the main factors considered when reviewing a new item of plant, such as the pothole fixing machine, are: “Costs, including initial and whole life; efficiency, including improvements to labour, plant and equipment resource requirements and work capacity; suitability, including size, manoeuvrability, transportation; required operator expertise, including training requirements; and health and safety.”

Independent Councillor Bernice Swift, who has led the call for such a machine, said: “While the question I raised was around the criteria – and the points answers that – I was hoping for much more expansion.

“I was asking if it could be clearly stated exactly why such an outcome of an assessment cannot happen.

“That would enable us to make sense of this correspondence, and why the suggestion of a pothole fixing machine is not considered viable.”

She continued: “The fact we see it [this type of machine] clearly working in the UK and Republic of Ireland, it was really over to the Department to prove once and for all why this machine isn’t viable [here].

“I don’t accept this response as good enough. It’s more of a brush-off. Just like many other departmental correspondences, it raises more questions than it provides answers.

“In this instance, it’s not convincing me any more, and it highlights this is a machine to be invested in, and it’s just reluctance on the part of DfI, more than likely because of budgetary constraints. We all know too well what that’s about,” claimed Councillor Swift.

Where the letter stated operatives needed to be trained, Councillor Swift said: “I’m sure it doesn’t take astronauts for that machine, so I don’t accept that.

“I know there are plenty of personnel within DfI who have the wit and wherewithal to operate such machinery.

“In a nutshell, I ask again for a response simply saying the facts categorically, once and for all.”

She continued: “Another councillor suggested maybe we [ the Council] could look at this, but we cannot with the tight constraints in our budget.

“I also don’t feel the Council should be taking on the responsibilities of central government departments. We’ve been doing that for far too long.”

This was seconded by Councillor Barry McElduff, Sinn Fein, who expressed the hope “DfI Roads are not becoming increasingly distant”.

He continued: “For example, in Omagh, a section engineer has moved on and the replacement is very hard to contact.

“I hope DfI Roads are not disappearing on us, in terms of accountability. They don’t take part in neighbourhood renewal events, or estate walkabouts,” he claimed.

Councillor McElduff suggested the Council seek to instigate meetings with DfI Roads through an agreed mechanism.

Final speaker, Councillor Paul Robinson, Democratic Unionist, told members of attending a site meeting and raising the issue of a pothole which has been marked out on two previous occasions with a DfI Roads official.

He claimed the official said he “didn’t think there was the money to fill it a third time”.

The proposal passed unanimously.