Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

When it comes to roads, there are many issues I would like to discuss. I would like to get into the mechanism as to how TII prioritises funding for roads. I look at where I am living and the N71 from Cork city to Glengarriff. There was a bypass proposal for Innishannon, which never happened. There were to be southern and northern relief roads in Bandon and they never happened. A couple of crumbs have been thrown out for a report. We have been talking about it for 20 years. I am 11 or 12 years in politics and still we are talking about it.

The report is only kind of starting, so that is kind of a kick-the-can-down-the road exercise. If there were real, genuine interest in putting further funding into the southern relief road in Bandon, that should report should have been done. Nothing is happening on the Clonakilty relief road or the Bantry relief road. The N71 is the main route into west Cork and we get caught for 30, 35 or 45 minutes behind silage spreaders continuously. We just live with it. There is no other way because we do not have rail or anything else. There is no such thing or any interest in putting a bit of money into passing bays. It is just a case of filling the potholes and throwing a slap of tar on if the old road collapses, although even that might take two or three months but it will eventually be done. The only works I remember are the works on the Skibbereen bypass when I was a child. That is the only bypass that ever was done. It is a brilliant job.

Maybe Mr. O’Connor can answer my question. He is here again with us this week. He was very considerate last week when we discussed greenways. The people appreciated his answers and I wish to acknowledge that. What hope have we got if we are continuously being ignored when it comes to funding for the N71, which is the main route into west Cork? The biggest roadways in Ireland are in County Cork and the least amount of money that is being spent is in County Cork. I was discussing the local improvement scheme, with the Minister, Deputy Dara Calleary, some time ago. He said that Cork is the fifth best. We have the biggest number of roads. We should be the best or, rather, getting the most, end of story. Common sense should be applied. Are ministerial decisions dictating that funding should be given to Ministers’ constituencies and roads because they are important to look after? Why are areas like the N71 not getting sufficient funding to put in passing bays to ensure that people can both use lorries and tractors to go about their business as well as allowing business people to go about their business at a proper, safe speed? I would appreciate if Mr. O’Connor would give me some indication as to why moneys have not been spent on roads like that.