The N24 upgrade, particularly the Cahir to Waterford section, is a critical piece of national infrastructure yet throughout all of 2025, the project has remained stalled at the preferred route stage with no movement towards detailed design. At the same time, the Cahir to Limerick section has advanced, creating what is a clear imbalance along a single strategic corridor. In my role as Chair of the Oireachtas committee on transport, I have engaged directly with the Minister and also with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, including as recently as Wednesday last, and I thank both for their engagement. However, engagement is not enough. We now need delivery. On the ground, the urgency is obvious. The Clonmel bypass is carrying more than 20,000 vehicles every single day, far beyond its intended capacity. This results in daily congestion, compromised safety and real economic loss for businesses and communities across Tipperary and the wider region. It is not a local issue. It is a bottleneck that is affecting connectivity between Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford and ultimately the functioning of our ports and supply chains. The N24 is a spine linking two major cities yet one half of the corridor moves ahead while the other is left waiting. That is simply not tenable. I am appealing to the Minister of State for any support and his direct intervention with the Minister, the Department of Transport and TII to ensure the Cahir to Waterford section moves to detailed design in 2026. It is crucial that funding be provided in 2026 to put this project firmly back on track. This not about delivery or delay. We just need to get this project moving.

Sentiment score: 0.11

The message is very straightforward. The N24 is essential national infrastructure and the imbalance in its progression cannot continue. I have engaged with both the Minister and TII. I thank them for that but we now need delivery. The Cahir to Limerick section is moving at pace and will be subject to a significant announcement today. Unfortunately, the Cahir to Waterford section remains stalled. In the meantime, the congestion on the Clonmel bypass shows the cost of inaction. There is pressure on safety, lost economic potential and weakened regional connectivity. Advancing the Cahir to Waterford section to detailed design in 2026 and securing funding for 2026 are the steps required to put this project back on track. I am very grateful for the Minister of State's support. I thank him for taking this question today. I know that, with his support, this can finally move from engagement to delivery. He is absolutely right. What we want in Clonmel, Kilsheelan, Carrick-on-Suir and the rest of Tipperary is tar and plenty of it.

Sentiment score: 0.13