Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Taoiseach is very familiar with the Ring of Kerry road from his visits to south Kerry and Valentia Island. I emphasise the importance of the Ring of Kerry. It is Ireland's premier tourist route but it is 70% substandard. The roads and footpaths through Cahersiveen have been in a shocking condition for many years. Local businesses, residents and visitors are outraged. They feel, rightly so, that they and the people of Iveragh have been forgotten. There is an ongoing €19.5 million regeneration scheme in Cahersiveen. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has been well aware of the issues for many years. My village of Glenbeigh is in urgent need of traffic-calming measures, including upgrading of roads and footpaths, pedestrian crossings and public lighting.

The south Kerry greenway will be Kerry's biggest and best ever tourism project, commencing in Glenbeigh and going on to Cahersiveen through the three tunnels, over the viaduct at Kells and down to Reenard Point. It is progressing well, with the first completed sections opening in the near future. However, Glenbeigh and Cahersiveen are not greenway-ready. The road in the vicinity of Filemore National School is extremely dangerous, as is the section between the viaduct and Caitins Pub and Accommodation at Kells. The condition of the road at Coad between Waterville and Caherdaniel near O'Carroll's Cove is not much better. The town of Killorglin also requires urgent attention, with both the streets and footpaths needing immediate upgrading. The daily traffic jams in Killorglin need to be addressed. A bypass is required but it is a long way down the road. In the meantime, short-term measures are required.

On the subject of bypasses, Killarney town must be put at the very top of TII's agenda. The town is absolutely choked with traffic. People are missing doctor and dentist appointments, trains and buses. It is impossible for delivery trucks, electricians, plumbers and all types of tradespeople to get from A to B. Taxi drivers tell me the town is a nightmare to get around. The Killarney to Farranfore project must be prioritised. I included in my submission on the programme for Government that the Ring of Kerry road and the Killarney bypass must be prioritised. I welcome that my colleague the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has announced €3 million for that.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The Government accepts there are genuine maintenance backlogs in terms of roads across the length and breadth of the country, particularly in south Kerry and Kerry more generally. We have allocated additional money to Kerry County Council for the regular maintenance of the network.

In respect of the Killarney bypass, I tend to call it the Cork-Kerry road.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is the Kerry-Cork economic corridor.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is the Cork-Kerry economic corridor. The Macroom and Baile Bhuirne bypass has been extraordinarily transformational environmentally, on public health grounds in terms of the air, on a road safety basis and also in terms of access and opening up Kerry to the economy of the wider hinterland right across the south west. Cork people are always anxious to benefit Kerry people as much as we possibly can in terms of sharing the economic fruits and so on. However, Killarney is choked; of that there is no doubt.

The rural regeneration and development fund has been an important fund in recent years in allocating moneys to rural towns in particular. Cahersiveen was awarded €2 million from the fund in 2022 for a strategic approach to proposed regeneration projects in the town. It was awarded €6.4 million in category 2 funding in May last year, which is very significant, to regenerate the town centre and make it a tourist destination. Key elements of that will be the Carnegie community building and, of course, the Daniel O'Connell Quarter. Daniel O'Connell is synonymous with Cahersiveen and I am looking forward to going down there this year to speak in honour of the Great Liberator.

Regarding the various road projects the Deputy alluded to in Killorglin and throughout Kerry, we accept the bona fides of the position that is being presented. There is a need for more funding. We are allocating a lot of funding but we acknowledge that more needs to be done. Sigerson Clifford put Cahersiveen on the map many years ago when he wrote of it:

The town that climbs the mountain and looks upon the sea,

And sleeping time or waking, sure it's there I long to be,

To walk again those kindly streets, where first my life began,

With the boys of Barr na Sráide, who hunted for the wren.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Fair play, a Thaoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am sure the Minister for public expenditure, who is sitting beside me, has heard the plea that the boys of Barr na Sráide once again be able to walk newly paved streets and a regenerated town for the benefit of the entire country and all who visit.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The boys of Barr na Sráide are waiting a long time. That is why I am raising the issue today. I emphasise that the Ring of Kerry is as important to us as the M50 is to Dublin. It is Ireland's premier tourist route. The town of Cahersiveen needs urgent attention, as I have outlined, as, indeed, do Killorglin and the Killarney to Farranfore bypass. I am pleading with TII, especially, to listen to our calls. I am not the first person to call for funding for the Ring of Kerry; many of my colleagues have done so over decades. It is about time the people of south Kerry are treated in the manner they should be treated. I note and welcome the regeneration scheme funding of €6.5 million for Killorglin.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is very hard to keep up with the poetic qualities of Kerry Deputies. There are a lot of allocations going on at the moment, including €1.8 million to the N70 Creamery Cross to Kenneigh phase 2 paving scheme that is under way, the Blackwater Bridge to Sneem project, the Waterville to Ballybrack project and improvements to the N72 between Tralee and Dingle. A total of €13 million-odd has been allocated to Kerry County Council. We have met with TII and made it clear we want to deliver and implement stronger road improvements because they are important and tourism is important.

Kerry needed access to wider economic activity. Access matters to trade and connectivity. The whole south-west area has always been seen as an economic entity in itself. If the Cork-Kerry road is improved, it reduces peripherality, enables people to get goods to market quickly and enables people to visit places much more quickly, which is beneficial to the economy and to social life. It also facilitates health access and a whole load of things. We take the Deputy's point and will work on it.