Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He referred to roads that were under construction or near it. This is not under construction. Planning has not yet been granted. It is at the planning stage at present. Anyone who wants to make a submission needs to make it before Friday evening. The people of Kerry need to know what is happening because this will create chaos.

The Minister of State spoke about narrowing the road to 7 m. We have been told 6 m. As I said, this went through Kerry County Council at an earlier stage. Maura Healy-Rae was the only councillor who voted against it and she will continue to do so. Perhaps the others will see now, because they are getting a second bite of the cherry, that this is wrong and the wrong time. When the outer bypass is built, this will be fine. We must prioritise to ensure lorries, buses, commercial vehicles, cars and all the vehicles going through this roundabout at present continue to use this road as they have to the best of their ability. We are very worried that traffic lights will impede this. We all know if you change the system from a roundabout to traffic lights, you slow the whole thing down. Instead of being backed up three or four miles out the Cork road and three miles out the Tralee road, it will be much farther and complete chaos will ensue. I ask that whatever consultants were being dealt with put in temporary lights for a week or two - preferably two - to see how the thing manages before they remove the roundabout. When they remove the roundabout, it will be too late. We will not have the other bypass for six or seven years yet, with everything going well. We hope and expect it will go well. I ask that the €3 million proposed for use on this roundabout and these changes be added to the outer bypass. If it cannot be spent there, spend it on the 650 local improvement scheme applicants waiting for ten years or more.

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