Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Griffin and I have had a discussion on this in the past, so I am particularly attentive to it. I do not believe I have been given the actual statistics on fatalities or injuries the road. I will make sure that my officials deliver that to the Deputy later today. I apologise because that is not the answer with which I have been presented, which I only realised when we came in this morning. I want to refer to the improvements on the N86 between Tralee and Dingle, however.

As the Deputy said, it is particularly important given the importance of the peninsula. It is also in line with the national strategic outcome of strengthening rural economies and communities, as outlined in the national planning framework. I apologise; I have some details here on road fatality figures. I have been informed by TII that there have been no fatalities on this road in recent years. The primary focus of such upgrades, particularly with regard to secondary roads, is on measures to improve safety. Upgrades to the N86 are being delivered on a phased basis. A number of sections have already been completed with the most recent being the Ballinclare to Anascaul section, which was completed in 2023. TII allocated approximately €3.6 million to Kerry County Council last year to complete this section. Two further upgrades between Ballynasare and Anascaul and Doonore South and Ballygarret are being progressed with preparations to go to tender under way. This will include an upgraded carriageway, along with a combined cycleway-pedestrian facility. Upgrades of the remainder of the route will follow.

Enhanced and improved road connections are vitally important for communities in peripheral locations, as the Deputy rightly highlighted. Other aspects of improved connectivity of this include new and improved public transport services along those roads. I can confirm that in 2023, three new and enhanced bus services for the Dingle Peninsula were launched under the Connecting Ireland initiative. These will improve connections between Dingle and the communities of Castlemaine, Ballyferriter and Ballydavid. This is in addition to a number of new and enhanced Bus Éireann and Local Link services launched in County Kerry last year.

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