Tipperary SF voice concerns over funding for N24 Limerick Junction to Cahir road

Deputy Martin Browne and Tipperary town based Sinn Féin Councillors Annemarie Ryan and Tony Black said their concerns stem from the fact that of the €3.5 million needed to continue work on designing the upgrade to the Cahir to Limerick Junction section of the N24, only €650,000 has been provided to-date, and is rapidly diminishing.

The remaining funding is needed immediately to quell concerns that otherwise, this section of the project may stall.

Deputy Browne said: “The people of Tipperary, and all those living, working and travelling along the route of the N24 deserve more than having to appeal for funding to progress the long-waited N24 road improvement plan. Only around a fifth of the funding needed for the project this year has been provided so far.

“This is simply insufficient, given the fact that more than one third of the year has gone by, and the funding provided so far is clearly diminishing.

“My concerns are also even more acute in light of the Minister’s negative response to concerns raised with him on behalf of representatives of Tipperary, Kilkenny and Waterford regarding the failure to provide for the next phase of the Waterford to Cahir project.

Councillor Annemarie Ryan said: “The parallel delay in providing certainty for the funding element of the current phase of the Limerick Junction to Cahir project questions the Minister’s actual commitment to addressing traffic congestion, the wellbeing and vibrancy of the towns and villages along the N24, or indeed to addressing the regional imbalance that has, in part, the poor roads infrastructure along the N24 to blame.

"At present, a total of €3.5m is needed this year to keep the Limerick Junction to Cahir project on track. To-date, only €650,000 has been provided, and without the balance being assured and made available without further delay there is a real possibility that the project could stall.

“This why I tabled a motion at April’s meeting of Tipperary County Council to include the Limerick Junction to Cahir section of the N24 project in a call being made by the Council to provide the funding needed to progress the design of the Cahir to Waterford section of project.

“While the two elements of the project are separate, they both have one thing in common – the Minister, and the uncertainty surrounding his commitment to see both projects through.

“We need certainty that the funding needed for the Limerick Junction to Cahir project will not be left in limbo. Tipperary town needs it bypass. We refuse to be silent on this issue.”

Councillor Tony Black said: “Patience is wearing thin with the Minister’s lack of commitment here. Tipperary town and the region has suffered from infrastructural neglect for too long. The Minister has commitments to live up to in the areas of road safety, emissions reduction, the Town Centre First policy, and active travel infrastructure.

“Tipperary can wait no longer and will not accept any further delays. I and Cllr Ryan will again be calling on Tipperary County Council to demand action from the Minister. Deputy Browne is making a similar call directly with the Minister.

“We are committed to delivering a bypass for Tipperary town, to delivering more safety on our roads, and to providing a healthy, vibrant environment in which we can all live and work without the impact of traffic chaos that we have grown too used to being confined by,” added Cllr Black.