Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

I have often raised the issue of speed limits this week. I was on two radio programmes this morning explaining the situation and the crisis we in west Cork find ourselves in. There are so many roads, including local roads, and we did not have an issue. There will always be someone complaining. We accept that many of the speed limits had to move from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. I sympathise with anybody who has been involved in a traffic accident and anyone who has suffered injury or death as a result of traffic accidents. For many regional roads, the speed limit should be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. There is no problem with that. The R585, the R586 and the N71, however, are the main thoroughfares into west Cork. We cannot accept a blanket drop in speed limits. Thankfully, there are not many serious or fatal accidents on the roads. There are sometimes fatal accidents, but that has not been the case in more recent times. If there are black spots, we should by all means drop the speed limit but there should not be a blanket drop.

The local authority has been telling Independent Ireland councillors Danny Collins, Daniel Sexton, John Collins and Ger Curley it is not its decision but TII's. The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne replied to me for six minutes instead of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien because he was busy. He came before the Dáil and said it was not a decision for a Government or anyone else; it was only the local authority. The local authority has replied to my own councillors in question and said it is not its decision. It is an absolute calamity. Nobody knows who is in charge of the roads. If there are roads where there is a situation that is dangerous then yes, the limit could come down. The road between Bandon, Dunmanway, Drimoleague and down into Bantry is the main route into west Cork. Is the Government going to take the limit down? Parts of that road are 80 km/h and some parts 60 km/h. Good God almighty, a bicycle would pass people on the road. That is insane. It will close businesses in west Cork. It cannot happen. Common sense has to come into play. If there is a stretch of that road that is dangerous and it is 100 km/h then it should come down to 80 km/h. If there are stretches of the road that are safe and have never been a danger it should remain at 100 km/h. We are asking for a common sense approach here. We are asking that at least public representatives, be they councillors, TDs or Senators, have some bit of a say and speak to someone but there is no one to speak to because the Government says it is local authorities, the local authorities are kicking the can down the road and shoving it on to someone else.

Then there is Deputy Paul Murphy. I do not like to speak of Deputies when they have gone out of the Chamber but he is saying “You shouldn’t have an electric vehicle. You shouldn’t have a fossil fuel vehicle. You shouldn’t have an SUV vehicle” because he lives in Dublin and he probably cycles around Dublin so he expects people to do business in rural Ireland on a push bike. Well, we live in the real world - he lives in a fantasy – and the real world means that business has to be done. We are pleading for a little bit of consultation and a huge amount of common sense which is missing in this entire conversation. The L road speeds have gone down. There is no issue with that and hopefully it will save lives, deservedly so. I live in a place west of Schull and there is a road across from me that is 80 km/h that you could not do 40 km/h on. Common sense would say that. It had to come down and I have no issue with that. I am only asking about the R586, R585 and even N71 and that there at least be some consultation and that it not just be done as a blanket ban and walked away from. If that is what happens it will just lead to outrage. I know of where there is a road of 22.4 km between Clonakilty and Skibereen, on the N71. If someone gets caught behind a tractor or lorry he or she will be there for the whole of the 29 km without being able to pass and the same applies to the road between Clonakilty and Bandon. It is an astonishing situation in which we find ourselves in west Cork because there has been a lack of investment for years and years.

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