Lethal road in Kilkenny is being 'left on the back-burner'

“These are life or death issues. We all know the deaths we have on that road.”

These were comments made by councillor Pat Dunphy, speaking at the most recent meeting of Piltown Municipal District about the ongoing suspension of funding for the N25 Waterford to Glenmore Scheme.

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Councillors in the district are once again calling on transport authorities to take action and grant funding for the scheme, given the road's dangerous reputation.

“It’s one of the most dangerous roads in the country and it's being left on the back-burner,” Cllr Dunphy said.

“Funding can be obtained for a lot of things with effort, so who can we go to? We’re elected by the people to get answers.”

In attendance at the meeting was Seamus Kavanagh, Senior Engineer at Kilkenny County Council.

He informed councillors that the next chance for the scheme to get the required funding would be under 2024 allocations from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

An allocation from TII is not guaranteed, however, and the continued lack of certainty around the fate of the scheme is causing alarm amongst district councillors.

It was noted at the meeting that most recent fatal accident recorded on the road was in December 2021.

It was just one month after that tragic incident, in January 2022, when it was announced that funding was being pulled for the scheme, despite the fact that a preferred route option had been identified.

As stated in warning by Cllr Fidelis Doherty during the meeting, “There have been many near misses since”.