Cllr Haughey represents the rural Cusher area, which is home to a number of major quarries.
She said, "The roads network demands a huge budget just to maintain roads to a driveable standard. Every week I receive countless requests for road improvements ranging from resurfacing, to filling potholes to signage and general repair work. The quality of roads in rural areas is still not at a great standard, and yet we are being told that the roads budget is being slashed once again.. That is madness. The legacy of this £46 million slash to roads budget will be poorer roads, wrecked cars, angry drivers and a countryside of neglected roadway. That is not good enough!
"To add to this pain, this massive reduction in roads budget will put at risk hundreds of quarry jobs, which could effect some people living and working in the Armagh district. Any risk to jobs must be resisted. The quarry industry is already suffering through high aggregate tax, higher operation costs, and the major reduction in construction due to the economic downturn. This news will be a devastating blow for many quarries.
"I am writing to roads Minister Danny Kennedy to highlight the very real concerns of quarry businesses in this district and I will be asking him to review this proposal in order to secure jobs. The Northern Ireland Executive must show leadership in this area and reinstate a reasonable budget for our roads."
ENDS