Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber. I welcome the students from St. Paul's College. I am sure the Cathaoirleach will make an announcement before they leave.

I raise an issue that is very important in the area I am from, Castlerea in west Roscommon, which is to prioritise the upgrading of the N60 national road through Castlerea. With the imminent completion of the N5 project - the extension from Scramoge to Tibohine, representing an investment by the Government of over €450 million - everyone will be heading to Roscommon at some stage in the coming months to cut a ribbon. I hope people do not have any trouble getting there, though, because the N60 goes through Castlerea and there is going to be an increased amount of traffic coming off the N5 into Castlerea for people who wish to access towns such as Williamstown, Dunmore and Ballyhaunis. Castlerea is already a town that suffers significantly at certain times in the day at the intersection, which we know as "Hell's Kitchen corner" but is officially the R361 road where the N60 junction is.

In the past two years, there was a plan by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to introduce safety measures and a scheme that would allow the traffic to flow easier at that junction. An investment of just under €1 million was made available. TII produced a plan, but it was a take it or leave it plan. It did not consult with the people and businesses of the town and the people who were using it. There are many examples of monitoring traffic trends and coming up with a solution without understanding the traffic trends. That is what I would like to engage with, and I encourage that there be engagement.

Today is about coming up with a strategy for the N60. When I was young fella in the early eighties, there was talk of a ring road or relief road around Castlerea. In the county development plan from 2013 to 2018, there was talk of exploring a strategy for a ring road or float road around Castlerea. None of these strategies or plans ever materialised. However, what we know from the TII's plan is that 70% of the traffic that goes through Castlerea passes directly through the town. The national road goes through Castlerea. It does not stop.

We are lucky in Castlerea to be national beneficiaries and involved in the town centre first plans. We are looking into opening up our town and making it more accessible and easier for the demographic that lives in the area, the majority of whom are older. We have one of the highest percentages of over-55s in the country. We need to make our town accessible to people. I would very much welcome an inclusion in the national development plan, NDP, to explore the strategy for our relief road or to do a scheme on Hell's Kitchen corner in Castlerea that makes the town flow an awful lot easier and make it a lot more accessible.

Recently, I did a walkability assessment with the Brothers of Charity Services in Castlerea. The majority of people from two different sides of the town identified that as the most dangerous area for them crossing the road. Be it in cars or on foot, all the service users with the Brothers of Charity Services highlighted that as a major issue. I welcome a discussion on this.