A Kerry County Councillor claims under-investment in roads maintenance and safety schemes is contributing to fatal collisions.
Independent councillor Jackie Healy-Rae was speaking at the monthly meeting of Kerry County Council.
He was responding to a call from Fine Gael councillor Michael Foley, who asked the Road Safety Authority to come to the county and host a safety awareness event.
His call follows a fourth fatality on the roads in North Kerry in the past three weeks.
Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae says it was shocking to see a 13% cut in road funding in Budget 2024.
He says there’s a number of safety schemes in Kerry are awaiting funding and he feels that having these schemes completed would make a significant difference.
Cllr Healy-Rae was critical of Minister Eamon Ryan for not investing in roads and says he doesn't believe inviting the RSA to do a roadshow in Kerry will make a difference.
The Kerry County Councillor also referenced a TII report which predicted that there'll be three deaths and seven people seriously injured within five years if the N22 Farranfore to Killarney bypass isn’t completed.
This report was released in October last year and was called Briefing Note to the Department of Transport on the Consequences of the Funding Scenarios for 2023.
Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae says a number of steps have been taken and legislation has been brought in and penalty points have been increased for driving offences but says it's not working so something else is also wrong.
He says there are a number of contributing factors but adds that the maintenance, upkeep and investment in our roads is paramount and feels that if the lack of investment in roads continues, the number of collisions and fatal collisions will also continue.
