asked the Minister for the Environment the provision that has been made to enable Mayo County Council to cater for the increased traffic which it is claimed Knock Airport will generate.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers - Mayo Road Improvement.
3.
(Dublin South-East): The national primary route, N17, which will be the principal access road to the Connacht airport is being improved progressively to the standard proposed for such routes in the road development plan for the eighties and a road grant of £125,000 has been notified to Mayo County Council in 1982 to finance the continuation of this work.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Surely the fact that work on the airport is proceeding and will be completed within the next couple of years will generate much more traffic if the claim being made for it on behalf of the Government is correct? If the project is completed surely it makes sense to have the roads brought up to a very high standard at the same time? Can the Minister assure us now that the roads from the area serving the airport will be completed and brought up to the necessary standards at the same time as the airport is completed?
(Dublin South-East): It would be helpful if I gave the information to the House that on 250 days during each year, that is excluding Sundays and holidays, 50,000 passengers per annum would represent 200 passengers per day. It seemed reasonable to assume that even during peak periods the level would not exceed 600 passengers per day, that is, five or six plane loads. Even if it is assumed that each passenger would generate one vehicle trip — that is, using cars rather than buses — the additional traffic which would be generated would be unlikely to exceed 100 vehicles in a peak hour which is well within the level of spare capacity. The capacity of the improved section of the N17 is at least 8,000 vehicles per day and it would tolerate up to 1,000 vehicles in a particular peak hour. Present traffic volume in the vicinity of the airport site is approximately 1,000 vehicles per day, leaving a high level of spare capacity. I share the Deputy's view that it will generate a lot of traffic within the area but, given the information available to me. I am left in no doubt that the road will be able to cope with the situation. If it is found that the traffic will be greater than that, further improvements will be made if necessary.
(Cavan-Monaghan): It would take years. What is the distance of the route of the N17?
(Dublin South-East): I do not have that information to hand. Is the Deputy referring to the section of the route through the village of Knock or the area under repair?
(Cavan-Monaghan): Are we to take it now that the airport will not generate any traffic beyond the village of Knock? Is that what the Minister is saying?
(Dublin South-East): I am not telling the Deputy that at all. I am giving him the projected increase in traffic and that the N17 will be able to cope with that.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I gather the Minister has on his file details of the route covered by N17 and that the information that the Minister is giving me relates entirely to traffic between the airport and Knock shrine. It has become fashionable now to refer to the airport as a regional airport thereby implying that it covers the entire west of Ireland. If that is so, surely the Minister will accept that many more improvements in roads will be necessary apart from the short distance between the airport and the shrine?
It is a sum of £125,000.
(Dublin South-East): I take the point the Deputy is making, but I am happy with the information to hand——
(Cavan-Monaghan): If the Minister is happy with that, might I suggest that he is not too hard to please because the sum of £125,000 ——
(Interruptions.)
Are you giving information or eliciting information?
(Cavan-Monaghan): I am just commenting on the Minister's happiness. Might I suggest ——
(Dublin South-East): The same view is held of the Deputy. He is a very contented person.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Well, I am getting a lot of food for enjoyment recently in the House.
(Dublin South-East): Good.
(Cavan-Monaghan): But might I suggest that £125,000 is a mere bagatelle in so far as constructing new roads is concerned? Would the Minister not agree with that?
(Dublin South-East): I do not, and I think the Deputy is diverting attention from the figures I have given him in relation to the projections of traffic to which the question is directed.
(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister has told me he has provided £125,000 to finish the road. That would not do a mile of road.
(Dublin South-East): I gave the House the assurance that if it becomes necessary to improve the situation it will be looked at.
This airport is regarded as a regional airport as opposed to simply an airport for Knock. If this is so there must be far greater improvements provided. But the Minister's reply indicates that the knock-on effect of the airport is not being fully taken into account.
(Dublin South-East): I do not share that view. As it becomes necessary for further improvements in the area they will be carried out by my Department.
Would the Minister confirm that in regard to this magnificent international airport, this regional airport first proposed by Deputy Flynn, the Minister for the Gaeltacht, the only provision made for it is going to be improvements on one short stretch of road. Is that fact known to Deputy Flynn, the Minister for the Gaeltacht?
(Interruptions.)
(Dublin South-East): I am very pleased to hear the Deputy refer to “this magnificent airport”. I am not sure whether he means that or not, but, if he does, we share that view. If other roads need repairs or upgrading that will be done.
It is repairs now.
(Interruptions.)