Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The most dangerous section of the N22, with the worst safety record, is the section between Ballincollig and Macroom, in particular in respect of people turning right on the road. There have been numerous accidents and many fatalities on this section. I ask the Minister, Deputy Ross, to follow up with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, on what action can be taken to make the N22 safer for people joining or exiting it between Ballincollig and Macroom. There are similar issues further west but the bypass of Macroom will address them. Each day, up to 23,000 vehicles exit Macroom onto the N22, with thousands more joining it from Ballincollig. There is considerable difficulty for people who, for example, wish to turn right at Kilcondy or into Cloghduff or Castlemore because they must sit exposed in the middle of a straight section of the road on which there is very fast traffic. Action must be taken in this regard. These issues have been highlighted repeatedly by councillors, including Gobnait Moynihan and various other public representatives.

In addition, the R585 is a key access route for west Cork. It brings a lot of traffic through Cappeen and on to Crookstown before joining the N22 at Stage Cross and at Castlemore. That traffic gets stuck queuing while trying to turn right onto the road to go on towards Cork. It is very frustrating for drivers and often someone will take a chance, which is dangerous on that road. Some of that traffic, instead of going out onto the N22, will go back over the local road through Cloghduff, Aherla and Killumney, thereby putting further pressure on traffic levels going through those villages. This junction needs to be improved. As the county council owns all of the land surrounding the junction, I ask the Minister to raise with TII the possibility of having a roundabout at that junction to make it much safer. As the road surface is failing, some work must be undertaken there soon anyway.

There is another issue further east on the Ballincollig bypass at the off-ramps at Poulavone and Greenfields. Every evening, there is traffic queuing for several hundreds of metres along that road and the hard shoulder while alongside them, there is traffic heading westwards at 120 km/h. This is highly dangerous and people are concerned. The possibility of providing an extra lane at the Ballincollig bypass needs to be examined. I ask the Minister to follow up with TII how the section of the road between Ballincollig and Macroom can be made safer for people joining and exiting the N22. It is the most dangerous section of the N22. Unfortunately, there have been many accidents and fatalities at this junction and every effort must be made to make it safer.

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