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Lights on Ireland's motorways are being turned off to save money

“Are we trying to save a few quid? That’s absolutely correct.”

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS with the National Roads Authority Sean O’Neill dropped by TheJournal.ie’s newsroom yesterday afternoon for a live Q&A.

If you want to watch the whole thing,  you can do so here: the session, as you might expect, took in everything from M50 tolling to (now mothballed) plans for Celtic Tiger-era road projects.

Reader Declan Cosgrave sent in a question about motorway lights on the M1… Essentially, are they being turned off to save a few quid?

“Spot on,” was O’Neill’s response.

“Are we trying to save a few quid? That’s absolutely correct.”

Watch:

Video TheJournal.ie / YouTube

The lights are being turned off to improve energy efficiency and to cut down on costs, O’Neill said.

“There’s just unnecessary lighting on road networks throughout Europe and in particular here in Ireland.”

So…

Yeah, that’s exactly what’s going on, it’s a cost saving mechanism.

Speaking to us afterwards, O’Neill explained that the lights in question were around junctions.

It’s something that’s happening across the network – and has been ongoing for around a year. He said proposals for every area were examined closely and that discussions took place with all relevant stakeholders before each decision was made.

It’s not a particularly new idea either. Fine Gael’s Charlie Flanagan (now the foreign affairs minister) suggested back in 2012 that lights could be switched off overnight as a cost and energy-saving measure.

At the time, the Road Safety Authority said in response that it wouldn’t have a problem with the issue, so long as risk assessments were carried out.

AS IT HAPPENED: Irish Rail and the National Roads Authority on closed loos and ‘ghost junctions’

Read: Irish Rail is fixing something that really annoys customers

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    Mute Andrea Rock Massey
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    Aug 17th 2015, 7:35 AM

    Is anybody else having trouble opening the links provided?

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    Mute Robert Wriggit
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    Aug 17th 2015, 7:42 AM

    yep!

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:08 AM

    Hi Andrea – are you trying them on desktop, iOS or Android?

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    Mute Mairead Hynes
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:10 AM

    I’m on Android (lollipop), no links for me #sadface

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:11 AM

    Thanks Mairead – we’re looking into this right way, as it works on iOS and desktop.

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    Mute Jamie O'Connell
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:12 AM

    For me, it’s the Android Journal app.

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:15 AM

    Hi Jamie – thanks for the info, our tech team are looking into it. In the meantime, I know it’ s not ideal but if you do have access to the desktop site, (should work on your phone’s internet browser too outside of the app I think) then you can try there?

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:00 AM

    Hi Andrea, it should be working now if you want to give it a try?

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    Mute Jennifer Reynolds
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:03 AM

    Nope, links won’t work. But I don’t actually care all that much because I got my first choice!! Helloooo primary school teaching in St Pats

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    Mute Margaret Daly
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:05 AM

    well done!

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    Mute Jennifer Reynolds
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:10 AM

    Thank you!

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    Mute E F Fanning
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    Aug 17th 2015, 7:43 AM

    No links will open for me.

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:00 AM

    Hi there – it should be working on Android now, let me know if you have any more problems.

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    Mute E F Fanning
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    Aug 17th 2015, 10:03 AM

    Working now, thanks.

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    Mute Sinéad Cronin
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    Aug 17th 2015, 7:58 AM

    I went to another site to check points. Links not working all morning, not a morning anyone needs to be waiting for a never loading link!

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    Mute Eoin Hurley
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:38 AM

    Just accepted my place at UCC in Pharmacy absolutely delighted!

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    Mute Rob Morgan
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:51 AM

    Absolutely gutted , missed law and german by twenty points . Got 525 and the course moved up to 545 from 515. I got offered biopharmaceutical chemistry in galway which I’d strongly dislike to do as I know it’s not for me. Go to college to do a course I don’t want and move across the country or take a year out? Tough decision.

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    Mute JoJo
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    Aug 17th 2015, 10:09 AM

    Year out and work and save some money, life is too short to waste it studying something that doesn’t interest you.

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    Mute AN other
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    Aug 17th 2015, 11:11 AM

    Did you not apply for a similar level 6/7 course? I’d take that if I were you and then see about a transfer to the lv8 course

    I know somebody who couldn’t do his engineering course in UCC because despite having 500+ points he failed French…

    Now he has a masters in engineering from UCC as well as a degree, a diploma and a certificate from CIT.

    Imagine graduating 4 times lol

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    Mute Dr.Dylan Tierney
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:33 AM

    Course points have risen exponentially across the board. Let’s hope round 2 is more forgiving

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    Mute twit
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:11 AM

    To confirm… Not opening on Android OS

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:01 AM

    Hi there, it should be working now.

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    Mute Fox Trot
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:10 AM

    android

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    Mute Mark Miller
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:10 AM

    Won’t open on android

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:00 AM

    Hi Mark, it should be working on Android now.

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    Mute Tammy Ní Laoire
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    Aug 17th 2015, 8:34 AM

    Still won’t open on Android!

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    Aug 17th 2015, 9:00 AM

    Hi Tammy, should be working now!

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    Mute Maura Tansey
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    Aug 17th 2015, 3:20 PM

    Taught a fetac level 5 would guarantee a place in nursing???? got 10 destinations. . trying to get through on phones”(

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    Mute Larry L'Oiseau
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    Aug 17th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Please tell me that was an autocorrect error Maura ?

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