Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I am keen to see a whole-of-road approach in respect of the N2. The whole road should be taken together in terms of what reports and studies are undertaken. This has been the problem. We have seen piecemeal works that are very good in themselves but we are not looking at the overall problem.

I do not mean to be parochial but Blakestown Cross is used by people from all three counties, that is to say, drivers from Monaghan, Meath and Louth, where the cross is located. Shortly after the works were finished at the cross two ladies were killed near where the works took place. When those works were done, I was so grateful. I thought to myself that it was so safe. Often, I come in the direction from Drumconrath, Meath Hill and Kingscourt in Deputy Smith's constituency - I imagine he is familiar with that cross as well. It is such an improvement. However, the point is that further down the road, within sight of those works, two ladies lost their lives. Unfortunately, this is going to continue unless we take whole-of-road approach and review the whole thing, including the examination of safety issues.

I urge the Minister to get TII to examine the matter and to examine the efficiency issues, especially in County Meath. The fact is that traffic is building up seriously on this road. It is a small road. It is not built for the volume of traffic that passes along it. There must be some way of making small improvements, especially at Primatestown Cross in County Meath, to protect people and to allow them to cross. The lights should be changed and some other system put in place, possibly a roundabout, to allow traffic to move. This is a major problem for my constituents and for the constituents of Deputy Smith who use the road.

I thank the Minister for outlining what is being done. I am not arguing or fighting with the Minster. I am outlining the facts as I see them. I urge the Minister to take a handle on this road and to treat it as one in all three counties, or four counties if we include Dublin, that it goes through, to ensure it is safe and to ensure that it works as a national road.

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