Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue. During the past 18 months I have been involved in numerous meetings with representatives from South Dublin County Council, the National Roads Authority, NRA, and other interested parties, including community groups, Dublin Bus and the Garda Traffic Corps, in respect of a serious and emerging issue, namely, the bottleneck on the N4 at the Palmerstown intersection. I have long been an advocate of free-flow traffic systems at peak times. I am sure the Minister of State is aware that in the region of 60,000 vehicles pass through the Palmerstown junction at peak times each day. This is a major junction of great significance. If there is an accident or a traffic light malfunction at this major junction if weather conditions are bad, this can give rise to widespread disruption in Palmerstown itself and in the surrounding areas such as Lucan, Kilcock, Maynooth, etc. Traffic coming from the city centre can also be adversely affected. This junction is so significant that it regularly features on AA Roadwatch reports.

An extremely serious development which has taken place at the junction recently came to my attention. This development came to light following meetings in which I was involved and requests I made. I hosted a number of meetings which were attended by two senior officials from the NRA and a senior official from South Dublin County Council. Those individuals pointed out that in the context of the free-flow arrangements which obtain on the M50, entering and exiting the motorway at Palmerstown depends on traffic light sequence at the junction to which I refer. More alarming, I have learned that the traffic management system at the junction is likely to crash soon because the relevant equipment - computer relays, ducting and cables - has reached end-of-life phase. If this issue is not resolved quite quickly, it will have a profound impact on traffic not only in the Palmerstown and Lucan areas but also throughout the city. In order to ensure that this matter does not reach crisis point - particularly in the context of its impact on the emergency services, on employment and on businesses in Palmerstown, which could suffer as a result of delays caused - the junction must be upgraded quite quickly.

I wish to read into the record a quote I came across when carrying out research recently, namely, "should these signals fail and work becomes necessary in an unplanned manner, there would be major capacity restraints which would adversely affect the flow both to and from Dublin City and would result in the possibility of traffic queuing onto the M50 as well as affecting traffic flow along Kennelsfort Road where considerable and commercial industrial development takes place". The downgrading of the N4 at the Palmerstown junction has resulted in the NRA not funding the essential equipment that is necessary. The experts state that we are sitting on a ticking time bomb. The reality is that the previous Government did not make any provision for the upgrading of the traffic management system in Palmerstown. It has been left to us to do so and we must find a solution because the likely outcome is completely unacceptable. As already stated, that outcome will have an impact not just on the immediate area but also on Dublin city and surrounding areas. I would be very grateful if the Minister of State would give this matter some consideration.

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