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

We provided specific funding to TII to examine whether we can improve our existing national road network, even if we are not doing the full motorway or new project appraisal or development and whether we can improve safety measures on all carriageways, particularly national roads, through a variety of different measures, such as investment in junctions, speed measurement measures and other road improvements. I agree that safety has to come first.

The second priority is to try to improve our towns, such as Tobercurry and Charlestown.

It is right, in exactly the same way it is right to focus on Tipperary town first and, similarly, on the N17. Taking through traffic out of towns is one of the most important immediate benefits. We will be doing that in many other areas such as Virginia, County Cavan. Rather than doing the entire road network, you start with the town section because it is important that the limited funding we have is used to prioritise safety and towns.

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