Road Projects

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 November 2023

Thursday, 30 November 2023

Questions (5)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

5. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport if he will seek to have the N22 Macroom to Ballincollig project added to the national development plan, and if he will seek to have the project progressed at the earliest possible date; if he recognises the need for this project to enhance the south-west economic corridor from Tralee to Cork; if he is aware of the loss of life and serious injury on this section of road in recent years; if he will provide an update on these statistics; if he will update on the projected loss of life and serious injury in the event of this project not going ahead (as communicated to the Minister previously by TII); if he believes this is an acceptable level of injury and loss of life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52859/23]

Oral answers (15 contributions)

Deputy Brendan Griffin

The question concerns the N22, in particular the section of road between Macroom and Ballincollig on the Cork city side of the newly developed Macroom to Baile Bhuirne bypass. Will the Minister update the House on the progress on this project and whether it will be included in the review of the NDP? It is a vital part of the jigsaw in regard to the Cork to Tralee economic corridor and it is badly needed for the south-west region.

Minister for Transport (Deputy Eamon Ryan)

I thank the Deputy for his question as it raises several important points, including the issue of road safety. I think the Deputy will acknowledge that the focus of the Government needs to be on delivering the national development plan as announced in 2021 and in line with the prioritisation outlined in the approved NDP. In that regard, I have no doubt he will welcome the recent opening of the N22 Macroom to Baile Bhuirne scheme, which provides improved connectivity along the Cork-Kerry economic corridor. This hugely significant project demonstrates the Government’s commitment to delivering the NDP and is one of three national roads projects to be completed this year. These projects are being funded through the €5.1 billion allocated under the NDP for new roads projects out to 2030, with almost €3 billion allocated for the protection and renewal of the existing national roads network over the same period.

The N22 Macroom to Ballincollig improvement scheme has not been identified as a project for progression under the new NDP to 2030. The scheme was suspended in the late 2000s due to funding constraints and it remains suspended. Given the competing demands on funding, it is unlikely that TII will be in a position to progress this project in the near future. However, I understand TII has had discussions with Cork County Council regarding safety concerns in relation to certain junctions on the Macroom to Ballincollig section of the N22, and TII will consider any formal proposals for interventions submitted by Cork County Council.

A safety enhancement scheme is being advanced at Castlemore, at the junction between the N22 and R585, and TII expects that Cork County Council will submit a report on this junction in the near future. I assure the Deputy that such safety interventions are an essential part of TII’s protection and renewal programme for national roads.

Deputy Brendan Griffin

I believe this project has to be in the NDP because it is that important from a regional point of view. It is not even in my own constituency but it is very important for the south-west region and for the economic corridor between Cork city and Tralee. I know it is not a road the Minister would travel often but a hell of a lot of my constituents travel that road every day to work in Cork city. Cork is the main economic centre of the southern economy and many of us depend on Cork for employment, income, healthcare, education and many other things.

The traffic count on that road is enormous. My colleague, Deputy Creed, is also present and will speak on the matter. It is unbelievable that this project is not in the national development plan. While I welcome the improvement measures at some of those very dangerous junctions as it is a very fast section of road, those are short-term measures and what we need is a new road in this area. What has highlighted that need more than anything is the fantastic new section from Baile Bhuirne to Macroom but the next section needs to be completed. It would be a massive investment for many future generations.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

I know the road like the back of my hand. I have been on it over the years, time in, time out. I absolutely understand the desire to see it upgraded and improved but we have to be upfront and honest with people. The prospects of getting funding for a completely new road are very slim and it is not in the existing NDP, unless that has changed. That does not mean we should not look at the safety issue, which is a real issue. I am aware it is a road that tends to see quite high speeds and it has quite a wide carriageway, with many entrances, side roads and properties exiting directly onto the road. We cannot ignore that issue. I had meeting with the TII board recently and because I know it so well, I used it as an example. I asked if we could look at a variety of different measures at particular junctions, put in speed cameras on the route, in particular average speed cameras, and look at other technical measures to help to improve safety.

It is a heavily trafficked road. There are huge volumes of traffic and many people commute from Macroom and other places onwards into Cork. I know exactly what is happening on the road but to offer the prospect of a completely new road would not be doing a service to those people because I do not see it coming in the next five to ten years.

Deputy Michael Creed

Like previous speakers, I am very familiar with this stretch of road. It is 24 km long but a lot of it is not as wide as the Minister suggests and there is no hard shoulder on about a third of it. There are 25 significant right-turning junctions on a route that has more traffic on it than sections of the M8 between junctions 3 and 4. I heard the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, make the point earlier that we are an island economy but we are also a regional economy. This is a critical interconnector between the Tralee to Cork hub and it is critical that we invest in it.

Twenty years ago, we identified a route corridor but it has stood in splendid isolation. That was the level of planning we had embarked on in the early part of this century but there has been no progress. We had the economic crash but, fortuitously, we are now in a position where we have funds. The traffic counts on the road are such that it has a greater claim on funding than many roads that are currently under construction. In the context of the mid-term review of the NDP, it is critical that we get back to planning, reactivate the route, provide funding to TII to do design work and try to make progress. We are not asking for construction today or tomorrow, but a sticking plaster is being proposed by TII.

This will not save lives. It will cost lives.

Deputy Brendan Griffin

I concur with what Deputy Creed said. The vision must be there. I am always reluctant to raise road projects, particularly new ones, with the Minister in the Chamber because it has been a recipe for abject disappointment over the past number of years. I know that we are quite different ideologically with regard to our views on these issues but the reality is that as Deputy Creed pointed out, this project will be needed for future generations. This is something that is critical to the regional economy. Public transport services will use this road. It is not all for individual cars. It will incentivise people to take buses between Tralee and Cork and between Killarney and Cork.

At the moment, this section of road is highly dangerous. We cannot continue to see the levels of fatalities that are happening on that road. The Minister got the figures from TII. Could he give the House those figures? How many people are projected to die on that section of road if it is not upgraded? What does the Minister think is an acceptable number of deaths before intervention and before putting this on the national development plan?

Deputy Eamon Ryan

No death is acceptable-----

Deputy Brendan Griffin

Thank you but how many have-----

Deputy Eamon Ryan

Every Deputy would agree with that contention. The Deputy says he is always disappointed when it comes to road projects. He should recall that we have just opened the Macroom bypass, which is not a small project-----

Deputy Brendan Griffin

That started before the Minister came into office.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

I am sure the Deputy is aware-----

Deputy Brendan Griffin

We were there for the signing of the tenders. I was the Minister of State at the time.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

I am sure the Deputy will be there during the second quarter of next year when we open the Listowel bypass.

Deputy Brendan Griffin

I will.

Deputy Eamon Ryan

I am sure he welcomed and celebrated last week when we announced that we would be building the Adare bypass ahead of when it was originally planned and possible so it is not as if nothing is happening. I would love to address every single one of those concerns, particularly in respect of this road because it is very well known to me but I have to be honest and up-front. Even if there is a review of the NDP, what it will show is that we have €100 billion worth of projects in development, all of which are good projects. How do you magic up the extra €65 billion we would need to pay for all those and then have further money to go to projects that are not in the existing NDP list? That is the reality the Deputy must contend with.