John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The serious difficulties that exist on the N24 between Mooncoin and Carrick-on-Suir were highlighted at a meeting in Piltown community centre on Monday night which was attended by 500 local people from the surrounding areas. All of the people who attended the meeting, which was organised by the local priest, Fr. Moore, and a community activist, Robert Duggan, are interested in restoring safety along this stretch of roadway. There were ten white crosses behind the backs of those who addressed the packed audience at the meeting from the main table. Fr. Moore referred to the roadway in question as the "valley of death". When this road was being designed and constructed between 1995 and 2002, when it opened, there were constant difficulties with the National Roads Authority, NRA, as it was at the time, and the engineer on the project. Those who raised matters with regard to the road, including the local radio station, were often challenged legally so that they would stop doing so. This happened to me as a member of the local council at the time. To this day, nobody has officially opened the road. Everyone in this House knows that when money is spent on a road, some politician will cut the tape. I have nothing against that. Even though this road was funded through the NRA, it is the road that nobody wanted.

Every effort to get the NRA, and now Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to look at the road has failed. Money was allocated for an overpass on this stretch of road in 2012. Everyone has been demanding such an overpass since the road was originally designed, but those responsible have still not given in and provided it, despite many deaths and numerous accidents. Most of the accidents on this stretch of road are recorded by the local gardaí, but others are not even reported. This notorious piece of road, where two roads go into one, is the worst piece of engineering one will ever see. The firm line of wire going down the centre of the road is a danger to motorcyclists and pedestrians, as we heard the other night. Local people and others who want to travel in a certain direction on the road have to travel in the opposite direction so that they can turn back. It is unbelievable that such a road was funded and constructed by the NRA. If the NRA had taken account of the issues it ignored at that time, we would have a different, safer road now. It was only when a local farmer, Donal Norris, drove his cattle down this road that the NRA was forced to provide a safe underpass. He should not have had to encounter such difficulties as he sought to achieve his rights. It was absolutely shocking that he was treated in such a way by a State agency.

We are looking to the future now. We are asking for a complete redesign of the roadway in question. The redesign must take account of every single turn off the roadway and every single safety issue that has been raised with regard to it. We are asking for funding to be made available immediately in order that overpasses can be provided and the necessary work can be done.

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