Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

The N24 upgrade, particularly the Cahir to Waterford section, is a critical piece of national infrastructure yet throughout all of 2025, the project has remained stalled at the preferred route stage with no movement towards detailed design. At the same time, the Cahir to Limerick section has advanced, creating what is a clear imbalance along a single strategic corridor.

In my role as Chair of the Oireachtas committee on transport, I have engaged directly with the Minister and also with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, including as recently as Wednesday last, and I thank both for their engagement. However, engagement is not enough. We now need delivery.

On the ground, the urgency is obvious. The Clonmel bypass is carrying more than 20,000 vehicles every single day, far beyond its intended capacity. This results in daily congestion, compromised safety and real economic loss for businesses and communities across Tipperary and the wider region.

It is not a local issue. It is a bottleneck that is affecting connectivity between Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford and ultimately the functioning of our ports and supply chains. The N24 is a spine linking two major cities yet one half of the corridor moves ahead while the other is left waiting. That is simply not tenable.

I am appealing to the Minister of State for any support and his direct intervention with the Minister, the Department of Transport and TII to ensure the Cahir to Waterford section moves to detailed design in 2026. It is crucial that funding be provided in 2026 to put this project firmly back on track. This not about delivery or delay. We just need to get this project moving.

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