Minister's snub over N22 angers councillors

FIANNA Fáil councillor Gobnait Moynihan has expressed her disappointment and anger at Transport Minister Shane Ross\ refusal to meet Council representatives to discuss prioritising the N22 by-pass.

Councillors in the Macroom/Blarney Municipal District were told that a letter sent by Minister Ross stated that, ‘due to the Minister’s diary commitments’, he could not schedule a request for a meeting ‘at present’ to discuss the delayed N22 by-pass.

‘I find it disappointing that he couldn’t even make an effort to meet us for 10 minutes so that we could reiterate the importance of the construction of the N22 by-pass, and making it a priority,’ said Cllr Moynihan. ‘According to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), there will be no bypass until post-2021 and that, to me, isn’t good enough.’

A letter was written on behalf of all the Macroom/Blarney Municipal District councillors requesting a meeting with Minister Ross to discuss the N22 by-pass and it being a priority as part of the Capital Investment Programme 2016-2022.

‘I wanted to voice the opinions of all those affected by the lack of a by-pass. The road is very dangerous and has seen many accidents on it. Also, there is a huge volume of traffic in and out of Macroom, which comes to complete standstill during peak times,’ the Cllr added.

Cllr Moynihan also said that the traffic jams in the town add considerable time and undue stress, not only to those commuting to and from work, but also to those coming into Macroom town to shop.

‘The lack of a by-pass is alos negatively affecting businesses reliant on tourism in the Mid-Cork area,’ she added.