Wicklow Sinn Féin TD has hit out with scathing criticism at Minister Eamon Ryan’s failure to overturn his decision to cancel funding needed for the major upgrade to the N11 /M11 to go ahead, as traffic congestion on the road returns to pre-covid levels. With thousands of motorists condemned to spend countless hours stuck in traffic as they attempt to negotiate the gridlock on one of the busiest roads in the state. He argued that the former leader of the Green Party is blinded by his ideological outlook and refuses to allow the badly needed upgrade to the N11 to go ahead for the simple reason that he wants to frustrate motorists to the point that they will abandon their cars.
The crisis appears to have reached a new level of chaos this week as Brady reported being inundated by people across Wicklow at the end of their tether. With workers being left late for work, children late for school, and patients missing out on important health appointments.
The N11 / M11 upgrade was specifically designed to address chronic congestion, improving safety, and optimising the efficiency and function of the N11/M11 as a transport corridor. Phase 2 of the overall project ended in 2021, while it was due to proceed to Phase 3, design and environmental evaluation, over two years ago, for ideological reasons Eamon Ryan blocked funding for the upgrade as his Wicklow based government colleagues watched on in silence.
Brady said:
“The situation on the N11 is a total and utter disgrace. We have a government now in its last days who have given away billions of taxpayer’s funds in attempts to buy the election yet have chosen to turn a blind eye to the long-suffering motorists of Wicklow.
A damning report prepared for the Minister last year by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) explicitly stated that a failure to invest in road projects would result in an additional 77 deaths, and 381 serious injuries on our roads in the next five years.
Thousands of motorists here in Wicklow are being forced to spend hours upon hours condemned behind the wheel of a car stuck in traffic while the Green Party Minister for Transport very pointedly ignores their plight.
In the morning traffic is grid-locked as far back as Newtownmountkennedy, in the evenings south bound traffic is at a standstill as far back as Sandyford.
Week by week the situation continues to deteriorate, with this being by far the worst so far.
This is simply not good enough.
Eamon Ryan and his colleagues in the Green Party are placing their ideological concerns ahead of the very real needs of motorists here in Wicklow.
This despite the fact that the N11 / M11 road project was identified in Project Ireland 2040 as one of the 20 priority National Roads to be progressed in order to enable the continued economic development of the state. The scheme has also been identified in relevant regional and local planning policy.
Yet, its own strategy appears to hold no substance to Simon Harris’s government.
Those who may have initially thought that a Wicklow Taoiseach could deliver for the county are now asking serious questions – Simon where have all the billions gone?
The N11 has now returned to its pre-covid levels. It can no longer serve the needs of motorists in Wicklow.
And to be clear, we are not talking about people out and about for an afternoon spin in a car, we are talking about workers, about students, about patients who are missing appointments.
Where is the quality of life for these people who are condemned to spend hours a day stuck in place on the N11 unable to move as a result of the failures of Eamon Ryan and his colleagues in government.
The absolute failure to invest in rail infrastructure, the scrapping of the much-needed upgrade along with an additional failure to attract direct investment in the County lies at the door of the government.
We have a Taoiseach, a senior Minister and a Green Party TD here in Wicklow who have done nothing for commuters in the county.
The fact that the senior government figures enjoyed chauffeur driven privileges, with the ability to race up the hard shoulder to beat the congestion with lights flashing, won’t be lost on people either.
The fact that so many thousands of workers in Wicklow have to travel up the N11 / M11 to Dublin for work is a testament to the failure of the government to invest in creating jobs in the county.
There has been an ongoing and chronic failure to attract investment into the county at the levels needed to address the needs of the county.
It is ironic that Minister Stephen Donnelly campaigned vociferously in the last election on this issue yet is now nowhere to be seen on this issue.
Enough is enough, the Green Party have done enough damage, we need to get the money in place to get the upgrade completed, and at least try and give Wicklow motorists a break.” ENDs