Minister Ryan ‘has to be stopped’
Calls for Green Party leader Eamon Ryan to stand down as Minister for Transport have been heard in Cork County Hall following his decision to halt 2 major road upgrades in the county.
There was anger amongst councillors at Monday’s full meeting of Cork County Council in the wake of news that funding had been withdrawn from a safety upgrade to the N25 between Carrigtwohill and Midleton, and for a long awaited northern relief road in Mallow.
It is understood that Minister Ryan deferred the projects, both of which are included in the National Development Plan, under Section 24 of the Roads Act.
The Cork projects are 2 of 10 projects nationally that have had funding withdrawn by the minister in recent weeks.
Councillors claimed the minister had ignored recommendations from both Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the Cork County Council executive in making the decision.
Speaking at Monday’s meeting, Fianna Fáil’s Ann Marie Ahern said Minister Ryan’s decision to pull funding from the projects demonstrates that he is “not capable” of carrying out his duties as minister.
She said the minister “has to be stopped” and is “not fit for purpose” in the role he holds.
Cllr Ahern said: “We are at a crisis stage with the N25. It's a shame to be sitting here today pleading with the Minister for Transport who believes we should only use legs and bicycles and trains.”
Ms Ahern added: “I'd actually ask him to consider his position as minister and do the honourable thing and stand down as the Minister for Transport because he cannot deliver on any of the projects that are on the table that are shovel-ready and that have finance behind them.”
Fine Gael Councillor and Chair of the East Cork Municipal District Susan McCarthy said the planned N25 upgrade was a crucial element in the development of a 10,000 person town development at Water Rock, outside Midleton, which she said is now in jeopardy.
Cllr McCarthy accused Minister Ryan of “running roughshod” in his decision making, causing huge levels of anger and frustration in Midleton.
She said: “This has put a kibosh on the entire thing. Midleton is in the terrible situation where we have had Irish Water finally help us out with our waste water treatment plant, finally getting to a place where we can allow development again in our town, and then Minister Eamon Ryan decides, in his infinite wisdom, to do something as crazy as this. It is absolutely insane.”
Cllr McCarthy added: “If there are any deaths on that road, and there have already been very serious casualties, my father being one of them, on the section between Carrigtwohill and Midleton, they will be on his hands.”
Turning to the Mallow relief road, local Fine Gael Cllr John Paul O’Shea urged council officials to contact both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste asking that they put “all the pressure possible” on Minister Ryan to reverse his decision to cut funding to the 2 Cork road projects.
He said: “This is something that has been on the agenda for Mallow for a long, long time.
“It allows for the bottom of the town, which has been choked for 40 years, to be relieved.”