Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In 2024 alone, 174 lives were lost on Irish roads. Behind every number is a name, a family shattered and a community left grieving. There are few families across the country that have not been left devastated by the grief of losing someone to a road traffic collision.

The location of the Rhu Glenn Hotel on the N25 near my home in Kilkenny is one such blackspot. Time and again it has been the site of horrific collisions. Just after Christmas, a local woman's life was tragically cut short there. Her family, friends and neighbours are now left to grapple with the loss. I send my sincere condolence to them all. The community has pleaded repeatedly for urgent safety upgrades, yet progress crawls at a snail's pace.

I raised this issue with the county council, which acknowledged the road's deadly history, but offered no timeline for action. I also raised it with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, but received no response. I raised it with the Minister's office, only to be told it was referred on to TII.

This cannot be a game of pass the parcel. Every delay and deflection risks more lives. These deaths must not be reduced to statistics on a Government spreadsheet. We need a clear plan with deadlines set in stone, not vague promises of reviews with no timelines. We urgently need safety measures to be implemented at the Rhu Glenn Hotel, and other blackspots across Carlow and Kilkenny.

I sincerely hope the Minister's track record as the Minister for housing will not be mirrored in the Department of Transport because his legacy at the former Department was far from inspiring. The track record of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and their priorities has left rural Ireland behind time and time again. Rural infrastructure and the N25 need to be treated as a priority. Communities across Ireland must be shown the respect they deserve, not left waiting indefinitely for safety measures to be put in place. The clock is ticking. We need to see action before another family's life is shattered.

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