The much-needed by-pass road from Killarney to Farranfore will not be included in this year’s National Development Plan.

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Local TD Danny Healy Rae raised the issue at an Oireachtas Committee on Transport last week.

He got the opportunity to ask Peter Walsh of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) about the progress of the Killarney bypass from Farranfore to Lissivigeen and Lissivigeen to Castle Lough on the Muckross Road.

“I am very disappointed with the reply I received when I asked would this scheme be included in the 2024 investment programme, he replied that it is not on this year’s and had no idea whether it would be included in the 2025 programme either,” Healy Rae told the Killarney Advertiser.

“This is very disappointing in many regards, not least road safety and the inconvenience being caused to many motorists because of increased volume of traffic on our roads as well as the impact it is having on our economy. I am appealing to the Government again to include the Killarney bypass on this year’s programme.”

24 YEARS

The Killarney bypass has been on the table since 2000. A route was selected in 2004 and was presented to the public in the Great Southern Hotel in that year.

It was dropped because of the economic downturn in 2008.

Because of the delay, TII decided that it should go out for public consultation again, identifying four new possible routes in 2021 and one of which  was to be selected in April 2022.

So far the preferred routehas not been selected despite several promises and much to the annoyance of landowners and residents along the route who cannot sell property, or apply for planning permission as their lands may be subject to a compulsory land purchase in the future.

As a result of his disappointing answer the Kerry TD decided to bring to the issue into the Dail and put the much-needed road on the national agenda.
Dail Questioning

“To give back the unwanted three routes to landowners who have had their land effectively sterilised for many years [is not good enough], I am appealing to the two Kerry Government TDs, Deputy Griffin and the Minister, Deputy Foley, to use their influence at this critical and crucial time. This is their time; this is our time,” Healy Rae told the Dail this week.
“To say the least, the people of Kerry are very disappointed with this utterance from this man. It is in this context that I am raising this issue with the Minister of State again. Many people are disappointed, including Kerry County Council and the TII officials locally in Kerry who have been trying to progress this scheme for many years.”
LOCAL CONCERNS
Councillor Maura Healy-Rae raised this issue on Monday with Kerry County Council and the reply given by the council was that the N22 Farranfore to Killarney scheme was at phase 2, options, selection stage.

In addition, Kerry County Council have procured consultants to prepare an area-based transport assessment for Killarney and work is underway.

“Some €500 million to €800 million is required to allow this project to go ahead, to allow for the planning and development of our county and to assist our tourism, industry, commercial transport and, indeed, farming.” added Healy Rae.

24,000 CARS EACH DAY

“Our town of Killarney has been clogged for the past number of summers, evening after evening. Above all, this is for the safety of all who use this road. There are 24,000 vehicular movements daily, six dangerous junctions intersecting on this current N22 primary road, and many lives have been lost here,” he said.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Deputy Josepha Madigan took the question on behalf of Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.

She replied: “The allocations for 2024, as mentioned by the Deputy, are due to be announced soon and will provide a full list of projects in Kerry that are receiving allocations. It is not possible to provide an allocation to every project in the National Development Plan for 2024. However, it is important to point out that the N22 Killarney to Farranfore project remains part of the NDP and I can assure the Deputy that sufficient funding is in place to ensure that the route options phase will be concluded in 2024, with a preferred route selected. As with all national road projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the N22 Killarney to Farranfore project will be kept under review in future years and considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to TII.

No money no fun

Deputy Healy-Rae was not convinced given the direct response he got from TII earlier in the week.

“We have waited long enough and people have lost their lives. The Government is talking about road safety and how it is going to do drastic things to try to curb the number of accidents, many of which are not real or will have no effect. I am appealing to the Minister of State and my colleagues from Kerry who have a say in the Government's ear and on whom the Government is depending,” he added.

“The Minister of State mentioned that it is up to TII. It is up to that body and I am sure it will perform once the Government gives it the funding. No money, no fun. That is where we are now. So many people have done so much work over a long number of years. The local TII office, formerly the National Roads Authority, initiated the project back in 2004 and Kerry County Council's senior management have put, and are putting, a lot of resources and effort into ensuring this worthy project goes ahead.”

Deputy Madigan insisted the funding was in place.

“As I said, there is sufficient funding in place to ensure the route options phase will be concluded in 2024 with a preferred route selected. I note the Deputy's comments around road safety and he makes a valid point.” she said.