By Dan Walsh at Wexford County Council Meeting
The Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour extension of the M11 was under discussion at the recent Wexford County Council meeting with Cllr Willie Kavanagh, who lives and works in Oylegate, remaking that “it could be another eight years before we see traffic travelling on it.”
Cllr Kavanagh also highlighted a scenario that trucks were pulling in on the hard shoulder and staying overnight with no facilities and local concerns are brought to the TII for attention.
Cllr George Lawlor expressed concerns having read that the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) are currently reviewing projects they might not be able to afford nationwide given inflation and rising costs. “I know they have committed to Rosslare Europort access road, but I believe there are major concerns over the road from Oylegate to Rosslare Harbour,” he added.
Eamonn Hore, Wexford County Council’s director of roads stated; “We have no great control over what happens and we will need all our elected members to keep the pressure up” and, he added: “the project is currently at the design and evaluation phase, we have funding to continue and we’ll continue with that.”
On Tuesday, in Dáil Éireann, Deputy Verona Murphy, who attended Monday’s meeting of Wexford County Council, drew the attention of An Taoiseach. Micheál Martin, T.D. to weekend reports in national newspapers concerning a review by the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) of roads infrastructure under Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan.
“One of the roads infrastructure projects that greatly concerns me is the final stretch of the M11 from Oylegate to Rosslare. The Taoiseach knows it is going to the most strategic port in the country and it would complete the eastern corridor from Belfast to Rosslare. Can he assure people that this project will not be long-fingered?
In reply, An Taoiseach told Deputy Murphy “the Government has invested very heavily in Rosslare and will continue to do so. Rosslare is enjoying a significant renaissance in that respect. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good and Brexit has certainly created opportunities for Rosslare. The investment there is positive and we want to maintain that. I accept the point about the M11 and that last phase of the road. There is a national development plan. I will certainly have a look to see what we can do to make sure it progresses.”
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