Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I am glad to get the opportunity to raise this matter in the Chamber. First, I have to explain the present setup. The national primary road coming into Killarney from the Cork side is a very busy road as it is. It goes through what we know locally as Daly's roundabout and then carries on to the old bypass, which has been built for over 50 years, to Tralee, Killorglin, all of mid-Kerry and wherever you want to go after that. Approximately 40,000 vehicles go through that roundabout each day, maybe 18,000 or 19,000 into Killarney town and 21,000 on to the other places I mentioned. The roundabout itself works perfectly. Most times when people reach it, they may have to queue to get from one side to the other. Then they get relief when they go through the bypass. It works perfectly. I never see it clogged or blocked. Even at that, the queues can be 3 miles or 4 miles backed up on either side coming in from the Cork Road or coming in from the Tralee Road into Killarney, or indeed coming up to Dr. Hans Liebherr Road if people are coming from Killorglin.

Now, under active travel, which the previous Government had in place, the present Government proposes to take away the roundabout and instead put five or six sets of traffic lights there on either side of the road and down to the Ballycasheen junction, where people come in from the Cork side. Two sets of cycleways and footpaths are also proposed - there are footpaths there already - and it is proposed to narrow the carriageway to 6 m, which I contend is not wide enough for the vehicles we have today. A suggested €3 million, TII locally and the council say, is to be spent on it. I suggest it will cost a lot more.

It is premature. What we need now is to build an outer bypass, which we have been campaigning for for 24 or 25 years. We have been promised €3 million for this year to progress that and to bypass the town, starting outside at Lissivigeen, going northwards west through Kilcummin and coming out in Farranfore, bypassing the whole lot. All of what is proposed now would be fine if that were done first, but it must be remembered that the roundabout to be taken away is on the N22, the national primary road into Killarney and the rest of Kerry.

Before this project goes ahead, I ask that temporary traffic lights be placed at every point where it is suggested there will be traffic lights, and at the roundabout especially. Temporary traffic lights should be put there for a week or two - it should be two weeks - to ensure that they will work and we will not have a complete disaster. We are bad enough with traffic in Killarney as it is. A similar project has been carried out in Fossa, where they narrowed the road. Two large vehicles when they meet there cannot pass each other without stopping up altogether and trying to inch their way past each other, what with mirrors and everything sticking out. It is not right to do that. That is the N72, the national secondary road. What we are talking about here is the national primary road, and to do this is very serious. Maura Healy-Rae has asked for the temporary lights to be placed before the work is undertaken. I am asking the Department of Transport go down, talk and look at this project with the officials, if they are involved, and-----

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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The Deputy will have a chance to come back in.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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All right. Sorry, a Chathaoirligh.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Healy-Rae for raising this matter. I am glad to take it on behalf of the Minister for Transport, who, as the Deputy knows, has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding relating to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, the operation and management of individual roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the national development plan. The Government has earmarked €5.1 billion for capital spending on new national roads projects from 2021 to 2030 as part of the NDP. This funding will enable improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes. The funding will provide for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others. An additional €2.9 billion was allocated for the protection and renewal of the existing national road network.

As the greater portion of this funding becomes available in the second half of the decade, this means there is a constraint on the funding available for new projects in 2025. However, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds has been provided for national roads through Transport Infrastructure Ireland to local authorities this year. It is important to point out that the programme for Government commits to continued investment in new roads infrastructure to ensure that all parts of Ireland are connected to one another.

This year, approximately €3 million was allocated for the construction of new national roads in Kerry, with an additional €10.2 million allocated for the improvement of the existing network. With regard to Daly’s roundabout in Killarney, which is the substance of the Deputy's question, I understand from Transport Infrastructure Ireland that Kerry County Council engaged consultants to review safety and capacity issues on the N22 and its approaches and to introduce improved active travel facilities at the N22-Park Road junction. A proposal for an active travel-friendly Park Road roundabout with reduced lane lengths was not considered the optimal solution for the location, with a signalised junction identified as the preferred solution recommended by Kerry County Council. Details of the traffic assessment work undertaken in relation to the signalised junction proposal can be requested from the county council. As part of the scheme, it is proposed to reallocate some of the existing road space on the carriageway between Daly’s roundabout and Ballycasheen junction to provide space for a new active travel facility. This would reduce the width of the existing carriageway down to 7 m to provide space for the construction of a 2.5 m cycle track. This is in keeping with the commitment in the programme for Government to continue to invest in dedicated infrastructure for walking and cycling. Transport Infrastructure Ireland did not allocate funding for this scheme in 2024 or 2025. Having regard to Kerry County Council’s recent approval of the scheme, it will be considered for funding in the 2026 funding allocations.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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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.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I will relay to Transport Infrastructure Ireland that the Deputy has raised this matter in the Dáil. As I said, this has been strongly considered locally through Kerry County Council. It engaged consultants to review safety and capacity issues on the N22 and its approaches and to introduce improved active travel facilities at the N22-Park Road junction. Coming out of that proposal and consideration by Kerry County Council and those assessments, it made the decision that this was the best approach to address the issues. It is always appropriate and correct that these issues be given as much consideration as possible at county council level in terms of the work and professional assessment by engineers and transport engineers, also engaging thoroughly with local authority members in consideration of the matter. From the information I have, that is what happened regarding the proposals currently under consideration. The Deputy indicated they were at planning stage and there was an opportunity for people to participate and give their views in relation to that. It has come as a result of significant engagement, consideration and assessment as to the optimal approach to address the issues at Daly's roundabout.

I will pass on the matter the Deputy raised today. It will continue to get significant consideration locally through the county council and local consultation process. I know the Deputy will stay actively involved in its consideration.