Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The report was welcomed in so far as it put options into the public domain. One of the short-term traffic management options referred to by the Minister was not acceptable because it would have had an impact on local residential housing estates. As I said, the road that would have been used divides houses from areas used by young kids for playing. I can understand why that short-term solution was not deemed to be acceptable. I appreciate that we need to take a long-term view in this regard as the economy improves. I do not envisage that Kildare County Council will be able to afford to put a new bridge in place on its own, but it might be able to do so with the assistance of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I remind the House that the feasibility study was funded by the National Transport Authority. I suggest that if we work jointly on a long-term basis, we might be able to find a solution for the town of Celbridge which is choked by traffic at the moment. People are not able to go from one side of the river to the other because of the traffic volumes going through the town.

The Minister launched various public transport projects today. Public transport has difficulty going through the town. Feeder buses for Hazelhatch railway station also find it difficult to get through the town.

We always try to make the most efficient use of our public transport system, but when it is being choked by the town, it is very difficult. I hope the Minister will consider engaging with Kildare County Council to provide some long-term funding towards this because we have to find a solution for the traffic issues in Celbridge.

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