The number of pothole complaints recorded by county councils around the country has surged 92% in the past three years.

New figures released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act show that nearly 50,000 drivers called in pothole complaints between 2022 and 2024.

Nearly 20,000 of those complaints were lodged last year – up from 10,212 in 2022.

The figures show that people in Cork complain about potholes more than anywhere else, with the county’s two local authorities fielding over 14,000 complaints in the time period – three times more than any other county.

Dublin comes in second with just over 5,000, followed by Kerry, Limerick and Meath.

Pothole complaints per county. Image: Newstalk

The figures show that people in Kildare are least likely to complain with just 99 drivers calling in over the three-year period.

The bottom five also includes Leitrim, Carlow, Longford and Donegal – the county with the third-longest road network in the country.

‘Like walking on the moon’

Speaking to Newstalk, Cork City Councillor John Maher said the roads in some parts of the Rebel County are in terrible shape.

“It’s probably like walking on the moon in some cases,” he said. “That's how bad it is.”

He said there are two main issues fuelling Ireland’s pothole problems.

“Number one, the problem is that the local authorities across the country are not funded adequately to address the issues that we face in 2025,” he said.

“Secondly, 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 that has led to the bad quality and the potholes on our roads.”

Pothole payouts heatmap. Image: Newstalk

The figures show that pothole compensation payouts across the country more than doubled between 2022 and 2024 – with nearly €1 million paid out to disgruntled drivers.

Some 1,283 Cork drivers were paid out a total of €283,465 over the three years – more than double the €116,222 paid out by Meath County Council and the €102,722 paid out by the four Dublin councils.

Louth, the smallest county in Ireland with the third-shortest road network, paid out the fourth-highest amount in pothole damages.

The Wee County saw €61,736 paid out to 373 drivers – some €15,000 more than Tipperary in fifth place.

Pothole payouts per county. Image: Newstalk

Cork TD Michael Collins told Newstalk that potholes were the number one concern for many voters he spoke to while out canvassing before last year’s election.

“I'm a national politician but everybody's on to me about the condition of the roads,” he said.

“They’re saying they are shocking. Go down that road, go up that road or this road and you can't travel that road.

“That is what the people are telling me.”

Road maintenance

Separately a Newstalk analysis of the amount spent on road ‘maintenance and improvement’ each year shows that the two Cork councils spent just over €395 million between 2021 and 2023.

That puts Cork comfortably ahead of Dublin where the four councils spent just over €350m.

The county that spent the least was Carlow, where just €35.8 million was spent, followed by Longford, Leitrim, Westmeath and Sligo all of which spent around the €58 million mark.

Road maintenance and improvement takes in all expenditure on either preserving a road’s condition or upgrading it.

‘Maintenance’ involves everything from resurfacing and pothole repair to gritting and salting during the winter.

‘Improvement’ refers to all forms of upgrade works like road widening, junction improvement and the introduction of new lanes etc.

A pothole on a cul-de-sac in Co Meath. Image: Newstalk/Henry McKean

Six county councils were unable to provide figures on the number of pothole complaints they had received.

Sligo and Wicklow only record the number of pothole complaints received in certain areas, while Offaly, Mayo, Laois and Galway County Councils do not keep a centralised record of pothole complaints received.

Pothole compensation claims are dealt with by the Local Authority insurer IPB (Irish Public Bodies).

Drivers are only entitled to compensation in certain circumstances – i.e where it can be shown that a county council was warned about a pothole and failed to fix it in a timely fashion or failed to fix it properly.