Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Jul 1992

Vol. 133 No. 11

Adjournment Matters. - Matters of Concern to Members.

Mr. McGowan

I would like to express the need for the Minister for the Marine to examine the feasibility of developing Buncrana harbour in County Donegal, on the grounds that my county is quite isolated and is one of the most peripheral areas in Europe.

It is reasonable, when we have funding for various infrastructures and from regional development funds, to ask that one of the ports in the area should be developed. In that whole area from the North right across to Sligo, Buncrana is the major port with the potential for development. On one side of County Donegal we have seven major military bases which makes things difficult, to put it mildly. We have no port and no railhead. On the other hand I see a loan has been obtained for Waterford harbour. The European Investment Bank has granted Waterford Harbour Commissioners a £10 million loan for the improvement of facilities at the port and a new terminal capable of handling 250,000 tonne containers, to be built downstream. The European Investment Bank is investing very substantially in Waterford and I applaud and support that development totally. The same need can be established at Buncrana in Donegal and I call on the Minister to recognise and to lend his support to an application which will be prepared in the near future.

Mr. Fitzgerald

I would like to ask the Minister for the Environment to provide the necessary funding to bring the Dublin-Limerick-Tralee national primary road up to national primary road standard. This road is the gateway to the south-west serving half the counties of Ireland with branch roads leading off. It is the main artery to Dublin from the south-west and is probably the busiest national primary route in the country with heavy traffic. At 190 miles it must be the longest national primary road in Ireland.

I travelled to Tralee via the Limerick-Dublin national primary road, a two way journey, about 70 times a year. From Tralee it is approximately 190 miles to Dublin and to call 60 per cent of this road a national primary road is absurd. We should be ashamed of its condition. When I leave Tralee on my way to Dublin, I would need a co-driver to read all the warning signs on the road such as: danger; black spot; slow, slippery surface; danger, bad bend; slow, acute bend. Unfortunately, there are very few signs saying: slow, major roadworks. At present, the latter signs can only be seen in Limerick and in Newbridge.

I am now asking the Minister for the Environment to plan exactly what section of this road is to be a priority over the next couple of years. Money should be provided to Kerry County Council at least to upgrade the road from Tralee to about two miles on the Dublin side of Castleisland. Money should be provided both to Limerick and Kerry County Councils to build a new bridge at the county boundary over the River Feale and upgrade the approach road from Kerry and Limerick to the Feale Bridge. All the way to Dublin there are stretches of this road which, to say the least, are no better than ordinary main roads.

Time does not permit me to outline them all but, after a fast drive out the Naas dual carriageway, Naas by-pass and motorway, traffic grinds to a half after leaving Kildare town and as far as Portlaoise. This part of the route would want immediate funding to upgrade it. As a priority in the whole route, work should be carried out first to make safe places where there are black spots. I urge that this work be carried out immediately and I also urge the Minister to do his utmost to obtain Structural Funds to help to carry out the work I have outlined.

Éamon Ó Cuív

The place I am talking about does not even have a road, that is Inishbofin on the coast of Galway. Basically, what is needed urgently there is a helipad.

At present, when there are emergency flights, particularly where people are sick, etc., there is no recognised landing place on the island and this causes particular hardship when night flights are involved. What is needed is a small square of concrete with a beacon so that the helicopter coming in on a mercy flight would waste no time and that there would be a recognised landing place for such a helicopter. There is much talk at the moment about rights to travel, etc. In the case of serious illness time is of the essence and for a very small cost of £10,000 or £15,000 this facility should be provided to the people of Inishbofin.

It is about time that the same services should be provided on the non-Gaeltacht islands as have already been provided on the Gaeltacht islands. On the Aran Islands, I am glad to say, there are air strips, etc., which ensure that modern communication methods are available to the islanders.

Tá an áis seo an-tábhachtach. Tá sí saor agus d'fhéadfadh na hoileánaigh iad féin tabhairt faoi agus í a thógáil. Ba cheart tosaíocht a thabhairt don obair seo. Is mian liom a fháil amach cén Roinn a bhfuil an fheagracht orthu faoi na nithe seo a chur as fáil do na hoileáin atá taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht.

Mr. Neville

I would like to ask the Minister for the Environment to approve the Glenville group water scheme in Ardagh, County Limerick. All the work has been completed on this scheme at local level and it is waiting approval from the Minister for the Environment. I would also like to ask the Minister to make funds available to construct the scheme in 1992. The scheme itself is not very big and would not be of high cost to the Department. It will cater for 10 people and include agricultural holdings and domestic houses. It is unacceptable in 1992 that any house in the country should not have fresh running water. Some of the houses I refer to have underground storage tanks and are obliged to draw water for domestic purposes. That is totally unacceptable in 1992 and I ask the Minister to approve the scheme and provide the funds to commence construction in this year.

The Seanad adjourned at 8.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 2 July 1992.