Taoiseach accused of treating West Cork like ‘a day out to Jurassic Park’

INDEPENDENT TD Michael Collins has accused the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of treating West Cork as a ‘photo opportunity’ during a recent visit to the area, while the region’s road projects are ‘decades’ behind schedule.

Mr Varadkar was in West Cork in July, visiting  Courtmacsherry, Clonakilty, Bandon, and Timoleague. 

He met with party supporters in Courtmacsherry and said the party would be seriously targeting regaining a seat in West Cork at the next general election.

But sitting Cork South West Deputy Collins said the Government had failed to deliver for West Cork on infrastructure. 

‘We have been dramatically failed for decades now when it comes to the state of our roads and the lack of even the most minimal engagement with the findings of the AIRO (All-Ireland Research Observatory) report commissioned by Cork County Council,’ said Dep Collins. ‘That independent report clearly laid out how our local authority has been on the receiving end of the lowest amount of funding in the country,’ he said.

‘He and his government cannot continue to treat us as if they were on a day out to Jurassic Park – down from Dublin to see the spectacular sights while vanishing with the cheque book firmly lodged in the coat pocket.

‘There are roads like the bog road in Schull falling into the neighbour’s field, and roads like the roundabout beside Dunnes Stores (in Clonakilty) where a car going into a hole will need to be pulled out of it. There is the Skibbereen to Leap Road – where if the front or back wheels hit the holes, they will burst a tyre or damage a rim.

‘On trips to West Cork, did the Taoiseach even visit the unfinished southern relief road in Bandon, the completion of which is now decades behind? 

‘Did he look at the much-needed northern relief road in Bandon? Did he call into the people of Innishannon and apologise to them for not working with me on their relief road for which I and others in this Dáil have been begging? 

‘Did he apologise to the people in Bantry and Beara for not pushing for the relief road for Bantry? These projects lie decades behind.’

Deputy Collins said Mr Varadkar should have consulted with the National Transport Authority to discuss creating passing bays between Bandon and Clonakilty, Clonakilty to Skibbereen on the N71, or Bandon to Ballineen on the R586, ‘thus preventing drivers being held up behind lorries or tractors for half an hour some days’.

‘We need a rapid increase in roads funding, and we need it now if we are to maintain the economic and social viability of the region into the future,’ concluded Deputy Collins.