N2 Upgrade Halted

The Government decision to order a halt to the three N2 upgrade schemes between Ashbourne and Monaghan has been strongly criticised by local election candidate Sinéad Burke as dangerous, short-sighted and adding to the unemployment figures. The N2 upgrade was one of 78 major construction projects in the National Roads Authority building programme.

Sinéad Burke said, “The importance of appropriate infrastructure, capable of handling the volume and type of traffic associated with a major national route has never been clearer in the wake of last week's nine-vehicle pile up at Slane. Despite this, the Government has ordered the NRA to press the pause button on this critical upgrade work. Last week Sinn Féin published a Job Creation Strategy which argued for the frontloading of critical infrastructure. The government is clearly doing the very opposite. The NRA themselves have said that they are ‘very concerned’ as a lot of the schemes are ahead of schedule and would be completed this year.

“What is particularly galling is that the only major NRA construction project to escape the Government’s edict is the Castleisland bypass in Kerry. Credit for this was trumpeted by Independent Fianna Fail TD Jackie Healy Rae, who claimed he used his position as a Government supporter to ‘put the interests of the people of Kerry first.’ It is quite clear that gombeenism is alive and well in Fianna Fáil and endorsed by their Green Party colleagues. The people of Meath, particularly those languishing on dole queues need to be aware of this. I also note that Fine Gael are proposing to cut €2 billion from the NDP. If this is adopted it will mean further job loses and worse, potentially further unnecessary loss of life on our roads.” The Construction Industry Federation said the halt in spending was “absolutely savage”.