Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. He will be in County Meath tomorrow and I will meet him there.

We discussed the climate action plan, and there has been significant progress on many strands. One issue I have raised with the Minister previously relates to a number of the points he made. There is traffic congestion every day at Kilmoon Cross on the N2. It is reported every morning and evening as sure as night follows day. Representatives from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, appeared before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications last week. The project is not funded, which is a huge frustration for people. When I speak to local engineers, they say they are working within the parameters they have to work with. The solution they have come to, which they believe is the only solution, is an extension of the motorway. Some people will advocate for the extension of the motorway. In this space, we have a vacuum and an impasse. TII and the Department are saying the funding is not there. The council is saying that it is the only project. What I am saying to the Minister is that he and I may believe the policy is something different from building new roads for roads problems.

My understanding of policy is that it is now about park-and-ride facilities, improved public transport, nodal shift and limited active travel. I am putting this to the Minister as a challenge. He has a perfect pilot test bed here. I believe he has a willing audience in the community because people want solutions. It is up to him to show that it can be done. I will leave that with him.

There is an opportunity either in terms of the existing alignment of the road or improving signalling, layout, public transport connections and park-and-ride facilities. Ultimately, however, there is congestion there that has been frustrating people for years at this stage and there is not a solution on the horizon.