Cork East TD James O’Connor has said Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan have agreed to meet him to discuss his complaint that some road projects in his constituency are not included in the National Development Plan (NDP).
Mr O’Connor has said he would consider resigning the party whip after claiming he was ‘misled’ over the projects.
He told The Irish Times the issue is still a “red line” for him but he will meet Mr Martin and Mr Ryan tomorrow “in good faith”.
Speaking in Slovenia, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he believed the issues raised by Mr O’Connor could be resolved.
“For clarification I have spoken to James last evening and today as well,” he said.
“The national development plan is not an exhaustive list of projects. That is made crystal clear. Those projects in the last NDP are referenced, lest there be any doubt that they were not going to progress.
“A decision was taken not to go into another exhaustive list of projects. The significance of this is that there was was a sense that if something is not listed the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) won’t go about working on a project.
“ There is also a clause that local authorities may bring forward proposals for relief roads or bypasses where there is significant congestion and safety issues.
“There will be further engagement with Deputy O’Connor tomorrow. Minister Ryan has made it clear he supports bypasses. Where it is now is that the county council are doing an appraisal of that project. The next stage will be selection.”
Misled
Mr O’Connor had earlier said he feels he was misled by senior Government officials over the Castlemartyr and Killeagh by-pass projects on the N25 along with the Fota Road into Cobh which were not included in the National Development Plan.
He told local radio station C103’s Cork Today show that despite repeated assurances for some time, it was not until last Sunday night that he discovered that neither of the East Cork projects would be included in the National Development Plan.
When asked if he felt that he was lied to, Mr O’Connor said “yes, by a multitude of colleagues”.
“I feel I have been deeply misled. I am hurt.”
Mr O’Connor had said he was seeking a meeting with Mr Martin and with Mr Ryan and he would be looking at a number of options “including resigning the whip of the Fianna Fáil party.”
Mr O’Connor said: “This is a red line issue for me” but he welcomed the confirmation of the meeting and said he will go into it in good faith.
He declined to say who misled him about the road projects saying it would be “unfair” to do this.
Mr O’Connor said that he has been raising the need for the road improvements since before he was elected to the Dáil.
He said upgrading the N25 is a “top priority” for him and highlighted congestion in Castlemartyr as a bottleneck in the road between Cork City and Waterford.
He said bypassing it and Killeagh would cost less than €60 million and would also be a major “economic and social boost to the town of Youghal” - a place he claims has been “politically forgotten about for many years”.
He said the Fota road upgrade would cost around €105 million and is a “crucial project for the town of Cobh”.
Former Cork East Fianna Fáil TD Kevin O’Keeffe claimed Mr O’Connor’s reaction to the NDP is “over the top” and said that he is “disappointed” that his party colleague may “jump ship”.
He insisted the NDP is “positive” pointing to the inclusion of the plan to upgrade the Cork to Limerick road as well as other ongoing works like the improvements at the Dunkettle Interchange.
‘Bite the bullet’
Mr O’Keeffe said Mr O’Connor should “bite the bullet and accept the plan as it is” and suggested that he “work with government colleagues and ministers to get things moving”.
He said studies have been carried out on projects that Mr O’Connor mentioned and expressed a hope that they can still go ahead despite not being mentioned in the NDP.
Mr O’Keeffe, who narrowly lost out to Mr O’Connnor in the 2020 General Election, said he doesn’t think the issue is a good reason to resign the party whip.
Mr O’Connor responded to the remarks saying: “Kevin O’Keeffe is no longer a TD for Cork East.”
If Mr O’Connor does quit the Fianna Fáil whip the Government majority would be further narrowed following Marc MacSharry quitting the party whip last month.
The three Coalition parties would have 81 seats in the 160-seat Dáil, though a number of Independents have frequently boosted its numbers by voting with the Government.
Fine Gael Cork East TD David Stanton said he is “disappointed” that the Fota Road is not in the NDP but said he’ll keep fighting for it.
He said he is “optimistic” that the Castlemartyr bypass will go ahead citing ongoing studies on its feasibility and language in the NDP that suggests by-passes will be considered in towns and villages where congestion occurs.
