Will new consideration be given to the upgrading of the N61 road to a national primary route in view of its strategic importance for Athlone, Roscommon and Boyle and the role such an upgrade would play in supporting balanced regional development, inward investment and improved road safety? Will the Tánaiste outline what steps have been taken by the Government and the Department of Transport to advance this designation? The N61 is a strategic road which links Athlone from the M6 to Boyle and onwards to Sligo. Athlone and Sligo are two designated growth centres and Athlone is the industrial base of County Roscommon. There is a range of issues. One is road safety and increased traffic. A number of intersections happen between the other primary routes of the N4, N5 and N6 which are the east-west connections and the secondary routes of N60 and N63. The volume of traffic between Athlone and Roscommon, in particular, and then onwards to Boyle is a source of significant concern. In addition to that, there is concern around connectivity. We have a dearth of public transport in County Roscommon and east Galway. We also have a massive deficit in infrastructural development. That is recognised at European Commission level in terms of the north-north west and the rest of the country. We rank very low in the European Commission’s index in relation to that infrastructural development. This is a piece of infrastructure that is vital for road safety, the national target of interconnectivity guaranteeing an average speed of 90 km/h between major growth centres, for economic activity and balanced strategic development for the west and north west. Roscommon County Council has included it in its county plans for the past 24 years. It made a submission to the Government in 2024. It was rebutted. I am not sure the reasons given at that time are legitimate. This is a hugely important and vital piece of infrastructure not only for County Roscommon but also for interconnectivity in the west and north west between the designated growth centres of Athlone and Sligo, which are also industrial centres for the west, and for the connectivity between the east-west national primary routes and secondary routes that cross the N61.

Sentiment score: 0.11

I thank the Tánaiste for his considered response. I reiterate the importance of this N61 route in County Roscommon, which also serves parts of east Galway and south-east Mayo, to make connectivity to the motorway at Athlone as well as the interconnection with a number of other national routes east-west along its route. I would also point out the very significant heavy volume of traffic especially between Athlone and Roscommon through the villages of Knockcroghery and Kiltoom, which represent a safety issue. There are traffic-calming measures at very many points on this national secondary route, which bring down the speed limits to 50 km/h which affects ease of access for traffic between Athlone and Sligo. We now have traffic congestion in Roscommon, which is something we could not have conceived of as a county town, at pinch points at rush hour. That is something I never thought I would hear myself say about Roscommon town and Boyle but there are tailbacks going into both towns.

Sentiment score: 0.32