Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to find out where the proposals to bypass Bandon sit in the list of priorities. Bandon is the biggest town in west Cork with a population of 6,500 people. It is the gateway to west Cork and the N71 goes through the town. If Bandon and west Cork are to develop, we need to have a plan to ensure the town is bypassed. There have been major developments in Bandon in recent years, some good and some bad. It has been flooded 12 times over the past 40 years, and the town has suffered because of this. Movement has been made on these issues in recent years, and flood defence systems will be in place by 2019 as will a new sewerage treatment scheme. A multi-million euro revamp of the town centre has also been proposed with regard to the streetscape.

The main issue in Bandon is traffic, particularly the HGVs that go through the town. We need to have a plan so Bandon can develop and its town centre can be used by pedestrians. The way forward is to have a long-range plan for the northern bypass, which is in the county development plan, and a short-term measure for the southern side of the town, particularly the Old Chapel area. These issues are very important. We need to put them on the agenda by raising them in the Seanad and to see whether they can be progressed in the coming years and that there is the funding for the key infrastructure Bandon needs to develop.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, who has family living in Bandon. He knows the town and the issues. I hope we can move it up the agenda so we have developments for the people of Bandon and west Cork.