Local councillor accuses Minister of lying and stopping Tullamore to Kilbeggan link road

A local Fianna Fail Councillor has accused the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan of telling lies and of halting a proposal to construct a road linking Tullamore with Kilbeggan.

''He actually told lies when he said he didn't stop any roadway,'' said Councillor Tony McCormack, speaking at last Thursday's Tullamore Municipal District meeting.

''It's on public record, it's plain to be seen. He stopped the N52 and he has put the lives of those people that travel that road every morning when bringing kids to school, at risk,'' he said.

''It's an absolute disgrace that he is holding us to ransom over his green agenda. I thought politics was all about compromise not about bully boy tactics and not taking into consideration people's livelihood and their health and safety.''

Cllr McCormack said that money originally earmarked for the link road needs to be ''reinstated'' and the road put ''back on the agenda.''

In support, Councillor Sean O'Brien said it's essential that there is a reduction in the speed limit currently on the N52. ''It's not just a proposal, people will be killed,'' he said.

At a meeting held in Durrow hall last week, Minister Pippa Hackett said Durrow could draw on a €25 million fund which the Government had ring-fenced for dangerous junctions next year.

Cllr O'Brien said ''we need to be ready when that is announced to get a serious slice of it.

But Cllr McCormack remarked that €25 million is not going to cover the whole country, ''we need to make that road safe, We need that new link road put in as soon as possible,'' he stressed.

Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Municipal District, Councillor Declan Harvey said cars are waiting up to 7 minutes to get out at the junction from the school. It is frightening, I will add my voice to that. ''We need some sort of traffic calming measures. We need something done boys, it needs to be done now, not wait for the route to be picked, which it is picked. Something needs to be done. It's crazy.''

Cllr Harvey said he was asking Director of Services, Tom Shanahan, Senior Executive Engineer John Connelly and Senior Executive officer Jean Ryan to ''get behind this and get this done. Stop Eamon Ryan and the rest of them. Greens my backside just get it done,'' he said.

Responding after the meeting Mr Tom Shanahan said, ''Offaly County Council have continued to apply for funding to progress the N52 Kilbeggan Link to the next stage. In the interim Offaly County Council are discussing a speed limit review for the N52 at Durrow with TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) and will also apply for localised traffic safety measures on the N52 at Durrow.''

Meanwhile Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the N52 road plan will be considered next year as part of the 2024 roads programme.

The N52 currently carries 14,000 vehicles per day and operates above capacity on a single carriageway with a narrow hard shoulder. The plan was to upgrade 8km of the national secondary route between Tullamore bypass and the M6 at Kilbeggan.

Offaly county Council had been working in partnership with Westmeath County Council in association with TII to deliver the project. A preferred route was chosen and public consultations took place. However, expected funding in 2022 never materialised and the project was unable to advance to the detailed design stage.