84. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action his Department is taking to progress the Mallow relief road project; the current status of this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63270/25]

Sentiment score: 0.24

What action is the Department taking to progress the Mallow relief road project? What is the current status of the project, and will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter?

Sentiment score: 0.37

I thank the Minister of State. As he knows, Mallow is quite close to Cork city. There is a huge volume of traffic now passing through Mallow because it is coming from either the Killarney side, the Fermoy-Mitchelstown side or the Limerick side. It is all coming into Mallow town. We need to prioritise this project because it is really having an adverse effect on the town as regards the volume of traffic. On the bypass road, I understand there was an issue in relation to the Gas Networks Ireland line, but surely national authorities should know where major strategic lines are? We know where overhead cables are. How did a delay like this occur? I am concerned that we will have further delays unless we make sure we have all the t's crossed and i's dotted when we are submitting for planning. I am anxious that we would submit for planning at the earliest possible time so we can progress this project.

Sentiment score: 0.15

It also ties in with the Cork-Limerick road and the importance of that development. We are 20 years on and we need to make sure that project moves on in the same way as this bypass road for Mallow. With regard to the volume of traffic travelling on that road, some mornings at 5.30, as I am driving to the station to take the train from Mallow to Dublin, there is a volume of traffic coming against me, even at 5.30 in the morning. It is extremely important that two major centres of population, Limerick and Cork, do not have serious road infrastructure in place. We need to make sure that grows, that this plan is also put in place and that a planning application goes in for that as well as the relief road in 2026.

Sentiment score: 0.35