Michael Collins
Question:67. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Transport if he will address a series of matters (details supplied) regarding road infrastructure in west Cork. [44395/21]
View answerThursday, 16 September 2021
Questions (67)
Oral answers (7 contributions)
Will the Minister tell me the date work will commence on the Innishannon bypass? Will he also give the start date for the long-awaited completion of the Bandon southern bypass and start dates for the full northern relief road in Bandon and the Bantry bypass? Will he also tell us whether there are any plans to insert passing bays on the N71 from Ballydehob to Bandon or the R586 from Bantry to Bandon via Dunmanway roads? The people of west Cork have had announcement after announcement about these projects for decades but not a sod has been turned. Today we need nothing less than start dates so we can progress west Cork roads and bring them up to the same standard as those in other constituencies.
The following information is the most up-to-date information available to me on TII's delivery of projects on the N71: regarding the Innishannon bypass, the route feasibility study was previously commenced but was suspended. As this scheme is not included in the current NDP, I have been advised by TII that the project remains suspended at this point in time.
On the Bantry bypass, a feasibility study on possible options was completed previously by Cork County Council. This scheme is being progressed in two phases by the council. Phase 1 design is currently being progressed under European Investment Bank, EIB, funding. TII has been in discussions with council officials concerning phase 2.
On the Bandon bypass extension, a feasibility study was completed by Cork County Council and TII is currently reviewing this. The project appraisal plan was approved by my Department in 2020. This work on early planning and design will continue in 2021, with a preferred route for the bypass extension to be identified. TII allocated €100,000 to Cork County Council to progress this pre-appraisal work during 2021. The current N71 relief road around Bandon ties back into the existing road network via a steep downhill gradient and drivers must also negotiate a number of roundabouts and priority junctions within the built-up area of Bandon. The N71 in this area experiences heavy traffic, with annual average daily traffic of between 9,000 and 14,000 vehicles. The proposed relief road extension would involve bridging over the R603 to remove the existing steep gradient and the construction of approximately 2.5 km of new single carriageway tying back into the existing N71 just west of the town.
The timeframe for the delivery of any major or minor works projects that require statutory approval, whether for an environmental impact assessment report, EIAR, or CPO, or both, is between eight and 13 years.
The Minister is talking about eight to 13 years. That is a hell of a long time. This has been going on much longer than that for the people of Bandon who require the southern bypass to be completed and the northern bypass to be started. It the same with the Innishannon bypass, as I said. This is appalling. I hear nothing I can go back to the people of west Cork with and say that these projects are going to progress, other than reports upon reports that have been going on for decade after decade. The lack of moneys spent on west Cork roads in the past 20 years has left them in appalling condition throughout. The Skibbereen bypass was opened in 2003 and since then no proper funding has been spent on the N71 from Innishannon to Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibbereen. In some parts the road is a danger to people who travel on it. I have told the Minister we cannot wait for another eight years. We cannot wait any longer. I would like the Minister to give me a start date for at least one of those bypasses. We cannot wait for another four, five, six, seven or eight years. The people of Bandon and of west Cork must be respected the same as those of every other constituency in the country, and they need delivery. The Minister is failing in his duty to the people of wes Cork to deliver a proper bypass and open up our roads so we in west Cork can compete.
I share the Deputy's concern about the long time our planning system takes. We are all agreed on that and the need for that to be assessed and changed. There was an additional €4 million in grant allocations this year to the N71 route for various improvements. There was a further €325,000 allocated to Cork County Council under the specific improvement grant programme to progress the road realignment at Ilen Bridge on the R586.
On the €4 million, I understand the Deputy's desire to see those bypasses be progressed. I have been clear that the prioritisation in our overall road schemes should be on bypasses of towns. However, that is a national question. We have hundreds, almost, of towns right across the country where bypasses are the preferred option. We will have to allocate the resources and TII is going to have to prioritise within the overall NDP allocation it has. Bypasses should come first and the towns mentioned are examples of projects that make sense.
The Minister is talking about €4 million for improvements but that is for pothole repairs. That is what he is saying. Those are the facts. I would like him to visit the roads of west Cork. He perhaps knows west Cork better than most Ministers. I can show him some of the roads that are in appalling condition. I took the former Minister, Shane Ross, down there. I should have taken Shep the dog down to west Cork because Shep the dog would have barked whereas Shane Ross did nothing for us. I do not want to be saying the same thing about the Minister in a couple of years. I do not want to say he did nothing about bypasses for Innishannon, Bandon and Bantry. All we hear about is further reports and no delivery for the people of west Cork. A journey from Skibbereen to Clonakilty takes 45 minutes to an hour if one gets stuck behind a lorry. Passing bays must be put in place. It would not cost magic amounts. The Government is looking at astronomical money to do small jobs and it does not look at how simply these jobs can be done. We have no delivery, zero delivery, on further thinking about west Cork since 2003. For almost 20 years successive Governments have failed to deliver for west Cork. I ask the Minister to deliver. He should get up and say that at least one of the bypasses will start in the next 12 months for the people of west Cork.
The ghost of the former Minister, Shane Ross.
What I presented to the Deputy is the best, latest information I have from TII. I have every intention of trying to deliver and improve the bypass options in west Cork.
On the reality of where we are with funding, the Deputy says €4 million is nothing. We are spending €1.2 billion to €1.3 billion per year just to maintain our roads. Thus of the €2.5 billion or so this year, roughly half is going to maintain the existing road network, which is important. If we did not do that the Deputy would rightly be telling me that it is dangerous, that people's vehicles are being damaged and that that work must be done. It is not a small amount. It is huge within our overall capital budget and it must be spent because if it was not we would have to spend more in subsequent years. Out of this year's budget, if roughly half is effectively going to maintenance, the remainder must go on public transport. We must invest in that and in active travel. We are limited as there are certain budget constraints we must recognise and admit. We are giving significant moneys to the transport sector but it must be spread across the country. That is a reality that cannot be ignored.