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TRANSPORT MINISTER EAMON Ryan’s refusal to sign off a road construction project in Limerick has caused “consternation locally”, according to Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea.
The €45 million road, which will link Coonagh and Knockalisheen, is seen as a major part of the regeneration of Moyross.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, O’Dea said €17 million has already been spent on the project, stating that the Green Party leader’s decision to review the project is a “clear breach of the Programme for Government”.
The issue dominated this week’s Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting, where members passed a motion calling on the minister to sign off on the road to Limerick City which was originally approved in 2007.
“My beef is with this road not going ahead,” O’Dea said this morning. “It is integral in the region and opening up Limerick City,” he said.
The Limerick TD said the road is “absolutely critical” to bringing investment into the region, adding that it is committed to in the Programme for Government.
In response, Ryan said he wanted to “make sure we get it right”.
He said there are no public transport links in the area, and he is looking at introducing rail links in the region.
The government will proceed with a “section” of the road, he said, adding that the money spent already on the project won’t be wasted.
O’Dea said he had no objection to rail links being added to the programme of development, but said he “rejects any notion of part of a road” being built.
This would “result in a rat run through a residential area” in Moyross, he said.
“It would be totally undesirable,” said O’Dea, saying no one is interested in part of the road being constructed.
Pressure is now mounting on the transport minister to give the road the green light, with the Fianna Fáil Minister of State for Higher Education Niall Collins piling in and raising the matter with the Taoiseach, stating that it is an integral part of the infrastructure of Limerick.
⚠️Coonagh/Knockalisheen⚠️
— Niall Collins (@NiallCollinsTD) February 4, 2021
✅ On 13th Jan last I wrote to @MichealMartinTD see 👇🏼👇🏼
✅ This is a critical piece of infrastructure & should proceed ASAP.
✅ I will continue to work on this for the local community & region.@buildourroad @CMoyross @MoyrossResForum @jamesjcollins pic.twitter.com/oOgK7r389u
While responsibility for the regeneration project largely lies with Limerick County Council, it is understood that Housing Minister Daragh O’Brien, and Junior Minister Peter Burke, who as a delegated function responsible for local government, were not made aware that Ryan was minded not to sign off on the road.
Ryan said Moyross would not become a “rat run”, saying “certainly not under my watch”.
The minister said he looking at the overall plan for the regeneration of Limerick, and wants the area to have the “most modern and advanced transport system” which will bring investment and jobs.
O’Dea said there are Green Party initiatives in the Programme for Government that he does not like, but is expected to support, as the document is a compromise.
He said if his Green Party colleagues expect him to support their proposals, then Fianna Fáil expects the proposals put in at the behest of them to be supported.
It’s outside Dublin and of no interest to Ryan.simples
@Conor Noonan: what there are people living outside of dublin surely not. Next thing you will be telling me is that people live in donegal.
@john s: yes people do live in Donegal, and are delighted to do so .their you go John s.
This kind of stuff is why Green loose votes… I understand them want us to be more environmentally responsible but safe roads and electric cars achieves that…
Public Transport is just not viable in many areas in Ireland… One solution doesn’t solve all problems.
Greens have to accept some reality, the road is needed and cars can be greener…
Here is a thought, Norway has one of the largest acceptance of Electric cars in the world. Electric cars in Norway are allowed to use Bus lanes…
@Cowboy Paddy: i don’t get why people thinking the use of a bus lane by a car is a good thing, cars can only only a few people, bus lanes need to be kept clear. I know Norway does it, but I don’t agree with it. No tolls yes, less vat and no vrt are better. The whole idea is to get people out of cars in towns.
@Conor Noonan: don’t do sarcasm in donegal then Conor
@Cowboy Paddy:
There is literally a rail line running through the area. Build a station and you can travel to limerick centre, Galway and Dublin. They are still getting the road they want just not the extra link to the as yet to be agreed northern ring road. I don’t understand why good public transport links are not to be welcomed.
It’s not essential for the Minister’s cycle to work so it not necessary lol
@Mick McGuinness: Cycling to work with his state car with Garda driver driving behind him.
@Pat Casey: Sine when does Ryan qualify for a state car and Garda driver? That’s news to me.
@Fred the Muss…: I was reffering to the last time he was in government, ir was well documented.
Moyross is literally stuck in the middle of nowhere with no bus service, no shops and a ’round the houses’ road taking them past the Thomond Park stadium towards town. It is always choc a bloc and must be a nightmare to negotiate on a daily basis. This ‘new’ road is in planning for 17 years!! For God’s sake, give those people a break and get a move on in making their lives a bit easier.
@Shelley Keary: 303 Pineview bus.. is literally the Moyross bus
CETA enabling investors to dictate health, consumer protection, and environmental policy is not a bother for Eamon (despite being elected on a manifesto promising to oppose it), but a road for Limerick folk has him clutching his pearls. This is why I’d never vote for him, not even if he stayed awake long enough to ask me to. On yer bike, luv
Only a 14 year wait. In cork the north ring road was started in 1987, they stopped in 1989. Meanwhile city has doubled in size and original road only brings to tail backs a little quicker than before, which are now of course much worse than in the late 80’s. As usual outside of Dublin, unless the infrastructure links to Dublin is ignored. Same old, same old.
What does Brian Leddin – the Green TD in Limerick think of this decision by Eamon Ryan?
@Cookie: He fully supports it… as do all the Green councilors. I would support the addition of light rail to this new road especially since it would be possible to utilise the currently unused and underused lines from Birdhill and Ennis to create a light rail route all the way to the airport (sometimes on its own route and sometimes sharing space with cars). However, there is no such proposal or anything at all that ambitious. This is all just blind anti-car Green policy (which makes sense in large cities in central Europe that already have amazing road networks but does not translate to the underdeveloped transportation networks of the Limerick-Cork region).
There is plenty of space in Limerick to install new public transport but additional funding is not being proposed instead the Greens are proposing the building of half a road. Such a downsizing of the project would be irresponsible since it will cause congestion (not good for the environment) and cause traffic in built-up areas (not good for cyclists and other unprotected road users). If anything the Greens should be advocating for more money for the extension of the proposed road by several hundred metres at both ends so that it connects up with the Dublin and Ennis motorways and for the inclusion of light rail, bus lanes, cycle lanes etc. (along all the route and the few hundred metres of extension).
After their recent performance in Limerick they should change their name from the Green Party to the Cycle Party… Note: They also want to stop the improvements to the Cork-Limerick road which is shockingly not a motorway yet. How can they be objecting to these things? Providing the Mid West and Cork Kerry regions with strong road networks will relieve congestion in Dublin by reduce the need for people from here having to travel up to Dublin.
@Rob Lyn: BTW I voted Green the last time (at Local Council and Dail elections). I will not be voting for them if this road and the road to Cork do not go ahead.
@Rob Lyn: I’m the exact same. Leddin got my #2 but never again. Not after the sealing of the mother & baby home records, and interference with the M20 and now this. Absolute waster.
@Cookie: Brian Leddin is a grade A++ thing on a door that you twist.
They don’t have oat milk lattes down there so I’m not interested – Eamon Ryan 2020
Where is the motorway between Cork and Limerick ?
It’s FF Owen fault for getting into bed with the greens. When they knew the head of the green party never wakes up.
The Minister responsible has the right to make the decision. FF politicians are playing old style politics which seldom served us well.
@camio55: just not the minister who approved it in 2007
@camio55: Just because the Minister has the right it doesn’t make him right.
@camio55: The Minister responsible is supposed to take advice and make decisions not push his agenda on the government
Just wait for knob head to go to sleep then work away he won’t notice
But they are putting umpteen cycle paths in limerick at the moment Joke the Green Party Days are numbered for sure
Willie your party FF did this u turn with allocated funds for years when in full power.
Euroroute One, will link Belfast to Rosslare, Irish times newspaper, by Tim o Brien. 2003
Now need 18 yrs later not completed.
Some minister probably whinged in Waterford and motorway turned right at Enniscorthy.
My little village of Tagoat about 4km from Rosslare Europort is now a 24hr continuous roar of juggernauts.
I hope Eamon Ryan has sent the reallocated monies from Willie’s homelands, to Contae Loch Garman.
What’s about the Enda Kenny motorway for Mayo
@Padraic O Sullivan: when the shinners get into power, Pearce will build a motorway to Donegal
Surely it’s worth looking at providing superior public transport for the city rather than more roads and more cars? If he turned down suggestions for public transport there the same whingers would complain.
@Steve: This country had railways going to almost every town in Ireland. Dublin had a massive network of Trams. Most of them were destroyed under orders of former govt ministers to appease(Oil companies at the time). A rail line was built right into the Rock of Cashel from the main Dublin line. The line was seen as too expensive to use so they pulled it up. It cost more to pull it up than the original cost to build it.
Past govts have made public transport to expensive and too slow. So everyone outside a city has a car. No other option. And now the greens click their fingers and want to make the cost of driving a car more expensive without solving the underlying problem. There may as well be no public transport in Ireland outside of the big cities. All our public transport burns diesel except from the Luas meaning its no worse than cars. We need to spend billions if we want to match what modern countries have and make the price of using these very cheap to encourage people to use them.
@Steve: Public Transport also needs roads and not everybody and everything can be transported on Public Transport. His own party in the city are in favour of it. He is power crazy
@Steve: completely missing the point. This road was approved in 2007, work has already started on it, then this utter misfortune thinks he can overturn it, just because. The man is a monumental failure, a pretentious mow ron, like the rest if his deluded minions. This is exactly why we have to keep these out of touch charlatans away from the dail and councils. All they do is meddle in things they know nothing about and put a halt to progress. On top of making everything more expensive with carbon scam taxes that achieve absolutely nothing.
Willie O’Dea needs assistance from Fianna Fail & Fine Gael on this project .E17m already spent, and the Green Man on the Bike wants to renague on this. How it is time that Eamon Ryan was reeled in , He json a cruisade to Ruin this Country , and Micheal Martin wants to stay in power so much, He is prepared to allow this Man to plunder All before him.
We now have a department that does not follow the government policy but instead the police of “The Great Leader”
If you disagree with him you get into trouble real trouble.
Ceta oh that old thing, its fine, more important that roads are not built people cant travel and journey times are longer.
Why can’t the taoiseach just bypass this sleeping half wit and just release the already approved funds? It’s high time this jack was put back in his box.
This issue was highlighted by the local SF TD
Maurice quinlivan
I think FF are jumping onto the bandwagon with this one
Willie late to party as usual
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