The building of the new Adare Bypass in Limerick must push ahead as soon as the funding becomes available, according to Fine Gael.

Fine Gael TD for Limerick, Dan Neville, said the road into Adare has been named by AA Roadwatch as one of the worst in the country in terms of traffic tailbacks and appears on their list of the country's seven slowest roads.

Mr Neville said: "Commuters travelling west experience great frustration. Many commuters live in the west of the county but work in Limerick city and county roads can become problematic rat runs. Some 133 people signed a petition on the speed limit on such roads, but the council will not consider the matter as the difficulty only arises at certain times of the day. There are serious concerns about the safety of children and at certain times people cannot walk on these roads owing to vehicles taking short cuts. Many of the byroads in question are very narrow and one is especially dangerous. Traffic into Adare increased over the summer for several reasons, including the upturn in economic activity and the general attractiveness of the Kerry region, particularly when the weather is fine.

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"While the money is not there at present to build the bypass road, I am told that Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe, is considering the inclusion of an amendment to the Roads Bill 2014 relating to the proposed merger of the NRA and the Railway Procurement Agency. Minister Donohoe's amendment would enable the NRA and road authorities to engage in pre-planning consultations with An Bord Pleanála on proposed road developments. This allows the NRA or the relevant road authority to obtain the preliminary views of An Bord Pleanála on a proposed road development before submitting a formal application to them for approval."

(CD/MH)