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

I happened to be in Cork at the end of last week and was on the road. The Deputy is right. It is not up to the standard for safety that we want and we have to do everything to try and improve the safety standards on the roads.

The reality is we have a series of projects. I mentioned the Castlemartyr-Killeagh bypasses. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach mentioned to me last week that there were very serious incidents at both locations in recent weeks and our thoughts go to all the families of those involved. Deputy Stanton also mentioned the Mallow bypass.

I have to be upfront and honest. I have said clearly at every stage that the priority should be such bypasses because there are very high volumes of traffic on these roads. The basic point is accepted. These are roads with very heavy traffic. That is all the more reason we would say in the case of Castlemartyr-Killeagh or Mallow that we have to free up those towns and villages as much as we can first but I had said to TII that this should not stop us examining safety issues, particularly on sections where there is concern as there may be a high record of incidents or accidents, etc. As an interim solution, while we are looking for the longer-term big investment, we need to consider average-speed camera systems to try to reduce speeding if weather conditions or other traffic volumes or whatever generate concern. What the officials are starting to do, and we provided additional funding this year, is to look, as the Deputy said, at the risk on roads like these, which is where the entry points onto them are not designed to the standard that we would do if we were to do it today. By all means, with safety coming first, I will encourage TII to look at that specific road section to see what can we do on an interim basis.

I visited Cobh as well as being in other parts. The Deputy has mentioned the Belvelly bridge to me on many occasions. There is a real issue on that, at Cobh. Much of that traffic feeds onto this section of road. There is that as well. It is not an easy one to solve. Looking at it, I am scratching my head and thinking, "How do you manage that?"

Lastly, what we launched in Cork last week is hugely significant for Carrigtwohill, Glounthaune, Midleton, and for all the new stations, such as Ballynoe near Cobh and Waterrock, that will go into that very area.

These will facilitate new housing, development and expansion and a sustainable solution. Those morning trains are packed at the moment and those two-carriageway diesels sets are jammed. As soon as we put in the new services and go to a ten-minute service there, that will take a great deal of traffic off the road and it is part of the solution.

See this speech in context