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

I wish to raise road safety schemes in County Kerry. Over a long period, Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae in the Castleisland electoral area has raised this very important issue. In 2024, Kerry County Council and our excellent director of roads and transportation, Frank Hartnett, have only received €550,000 to progress road safety schemes in the entire county. This is an increase of just €7,000 from 2023. In one municipal district in Kerry that stretches from Scartaglin back to the west of Dingle, the Castleisland - Corca Dhuibhne MD, will only be able to progress one safety scheme this year due to this allocation. Kerry County Council requires €30,000, which is a small sum of money, to progress a safety scheme at Lisheen cross in Gneevgullia where there is an extensive accident history. Recently, there was another major accident at this junction involving five people and it is only a matter of time before someone is killed at that location. That project is shovel-ready but is starved of funding.

A sum of €60,000 is required to progress a safety scheme in Castleisland town at the junction of Church Street and Main Street. An extremely busy mart is located down this road and it is heavily trafficked. Another scheme requiring funding for traffic calming measures and a pedestrian crossing at an extremely busy crèche facility in Firies along with further traffic measures in Firies village where there is a big residential development. A recent traffic survey found cars going in excess of the speed limit there.

The junction at the very busy Gortatlea Mart, which provides a great service on the N21, requires a right-turning ghost island to facilitate traffic turning right. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in its infinite wisdom burned off the road markings a number of years ago. Another right-turning ghost island is required further up at the Glanshearoon viewing area on the N21. There have been multiple fatalities along that road.

The point I am trying to make is the Taoiseach and his Government - and rightly so - are concerned about traffic safety on our roads. The Government continuously looks at different ways, and I do not disagree with the Government looking at it. However the Government is looking at certain issues, such as driver behaviour and saying speed limits should be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h, 80 km/h to 60 km/h and 60 km/h to 40 km/h. I do not agree with that. I would never vote for that and I will tell the Taoiseach why. I have no monopoly of being right in this House and I am not waving my hand at the Taoiseach and saying he is wrong. The Taoiseach's heart is in the right place but I say that what I would call simplistic political reactionary actions such as that are not what is required. What is required is to fund us, for instance in County Kerry and every other county in the country. Every other Deputy in this House has the same issues. They could stand up and name crosses, junctions and locations. Why is the Government not seeing to those accident locations where people are being injured and putting themselves in danger?

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