Calls for upgrade of N4
Senator Marc MacSharry.
Fianna Fáil and Sinn Fein are calling for progress to be made on updrading the N4 between Collooney and Castlebaldwin.
Fianna Fáil Senator Marc MacSharry has called on the Government to include the much needed upgrade in the projects to be progressed under the “Jobs Initiative”.
His call comes after a motion put before the Oireachtas by Senator Mac Sharry was ruled out of order by the Government. It called on Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to reverse the suspension of the vital N4 upgrade and to proceed with the necessary works as a matter of a priority.
The Government attempted to wash its hands of the issue by claiming it is “a matter for the National Roads Authority, not the Minister”, Senator MacSharry told the Leitrim Observer.
“While the Government have suspended 80 NRA projects, it has also promised to proceed with certain projects as part of its Jobs Initiative. In the interests of public safety I believe that the N4 project, which has been responsible for some 30 deaths, must be put top of that list,” he said.
His words were echoed by Sinn Féin deputy president, Mary Lou McDonald, who, with her party colleague, Sligo/North Leitrim TD, Michael Colreavy, made a stop on the road to Sligo on Saturday last to view meet with local activists calling for action on the N4.
Deputy McDonald met with Thomas Healy of Collooney, an active campaigner for works to be carried out on the N4 from Castlebaldwin to Cloonamahon, a 10 kilometre stretch lined with 29 cross memeorials to those who have died on this road.
Deputy Colreavy TD said that he is arranging for the N4 Action Group to meet with TDs and senators from all parties in the Dáil shortly, to appeal for works to be carried out to make the stretch of road safer.
“When Minister Varadkar spoke of downgrading of Knock airport, he pointed to the so-called good infrastructure in this part of the country. This is a small stretch of road on which 29 people have died. The cost involved in fixing this is small in comparison to the loss of life this road is causing,” he told the Leitrim Observer.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 12 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
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Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South west
