Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise with the Tánaiste a very urgent, serious problem that has erupted for the people of Bunane, Kenmare and on the west Cork side, Glengarriff and Bantry. A serious problem has arisen whereby Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, proposes to close the N71 Caha Pass tunnel between Cork and Kerry for ten weeks from 4 November. Everyone appreciates the work it proposes to carry out to stabilise part of the roof of the tunnel. That work needs to be done but the timing is wrong. We all know that the country was closed down for a very long time and we are disappointed that the work was not carried out then.

I attended a meeting organised by the Bunane Community Council at Stephen O'Sullivan's premises, Molly Gallivan's, as did many other public representatives. The meeting was also attended by a massive crowd of business people, farmers and concerned individuals from the Kenmare, Bunane, Glengarriff and Bantry areas of west Cork as well. It was pointed out clearly that business, tourism, agriculture and every other aspect of life have been closed down for almost a year and a half and that they hope to be busy for all the month of October and the early part of November. Molly Gallivan's already has 22 buses booked for October. It was also pointed out that 30 or more cruise liners came into Bantry Harbour last October and it is expected that they will return next month. The spin-off from them would help Bunane, Glengarriff and the Kenmare area if they could go back and forth through the tunnel. This is the only option for buses, as the only other way to connect Bantry and Kenmare is eastwards to Macroom in mid-Cork, which is more than 35 miles one way. The manager of Kenmare mart told the meeting, as did many farmers from the Bantry, Skibbereen and Goleen areas, that the main trading time for selling sheep and weanlings is October and early November. My ask on behalf of the local community is that the time for beginning the works should be pushed out towards the end of November and that the timeframe for the works to be completed would be reduced from ten weeks, as this is way too long. There are a few pinch points in the roof of the tunnel already, preventing coaches of the maximum height from getting through the tunnel.

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