Anger over omission of N4 upgrade from 2022 infrastructure fund list

The omission of the upgrade of the N4 between Mullingar and Longford (Rooskey) from the list of projects to be funded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in 2022 has been condemned by Westmeath’s two ministers, Peter Burke and Robert Troy and by Deputy Sorca Clarke.

In what was viewed as a setback for progression of the project, which was revived in 2018 after being put on hold around 2011, TII failed to mention the project in its pre-Christmas announcement of its grant allocations to local authorities for national roads and greenways.

Minister Troy said he has sought a meeting with Minister Eamonn Ryan over the issue, and Minister Burke said he has already raised the issue with party colleagues, but Deputy Clarke has said that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to face up to their own part in the delay in progressing the project.

“This involves public money and the government hold the purse strings and they need to stop delegating responsibility for major infrastructure projects like this to another agency,” she said, adding that despite what she termed the “hand-wringing” by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael over the project for years, it still has not come to fruition and the parties had failed to deliver for this area.

“They are either incapable of doing it or they don’t recognise the need of this area, or they don’t consider it a priority: it’s one of those three,” she said.

A route for the upgraded 50km stretch of road was selected after extensive public consultation in 2009/2010: it involved bypassing Rathowen, Ballinalack, Edgeworthstown, Newtownforbes and Longford town.

In 2019, however, as the project was revived, route selection had to begin from scratch again due to changes in the intervening nine years in environmental legislation and design standards.

Minister Burke said this week that the lack of funding for the project in 2022 is “completely unacceptable” as the road is a vital link to the west and north west. “Minister Ryan needs to resolve this uncertainty immediately,” said Minister Burke.

“The minister should be aware of the continued stress and heartache many families have had to endure with their land being sterilised for any type of construction over the last decade, which is totally unacceptable.

“This vital piece of infrastructure must be included in the capital plan.”

Minister Troy was angry over the omission: “Obviously it was a source of disappointment to see that TII didn’t prioritise the N4 for funding this year,” he said, adding that the Roads Design Office had made a submission for in the region of €3m to continue with the preparatory works for the scheme.

Minister Troy said he is intent on meeting Minister Ryan over the issue: “There was a commitment at the time the Programme for Government was being thrashed out that any existing roads could proceed – but clearly a road can’t proceed if we don’t continue to make funding available for it.

“Already, in 2011, we saw this road stalled and because of that, now we have to restart at the drawing board again.

“We need to continue to ensure the money [that has already been] spent is not now wasted. Without funding this year, the scheme cannot advance, and we need to see that scheme advancing because it is important for the region – and particularly important for the west of Ireland to have access to a greater connection with Dublin.”