Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)

I am taking this opportunity to highlight a matter of public safety that simply cannot wait. There was a serious accident in my constituency two weeks ago at Barrett's Cross, known locally as Kerryman's Table, in Mushera near Aubane. A passenger was left in a coma. Thankfully, it was non-fatal, but we are seriously dangerously close to a tragedy and the community knows it. They have been sounding alarms for years. I commend Senator Lynch, who has been working closely on this issue. The junction has been a scene of far too many accidents and the residents are living in fear. I have met with families in the area and the message is clear that something must done and done fast. The problem, however, is that Cork County Council, like many others, is constrained by limited funding and rigid national criteria. It often cannot act swiftly or decisively on local safety issues even when there are lives at stake. The solution in this case is a staggered junction, a proven and simple intervention already used in places in the constituency like Boherboy and Dernagree, but without dedicated funding or flexibility the council cannot deliver this. I call for the relevant Minister to come to the Chamber and outline what has been done to review the current funding models for local road safety measures. We need to empower the councils with the resources and autonomy to act before, not after, a fatal accident occurs because communities like Aubane deserve to feel safe on their roads.