Taoiseach Simon Harris commits to Laois town's relief road as 'priority' if re-elected

The Taoiseach Simon Harris has promised to prioritise the recommended N80 double bypass of Mountmellick if reelected.

Mountmellick farmer Fran Baker, chair of the Mountmellick town Team doorstepped the Taoiseach at the MDA centre to press for action last Wednesday evening November 20. 

The Taoiseach was on a canvassing visit to the MDA with the Laois Fine Gael candidate Portlaoise MD Cllr Willie Aird.

“With Brexit now, all the traffic from from Rosslare to the west of Ireland is going through Mountmellick,” Mr Baker told him.

In reply Taoiseach Simon Harris admitted not enough has been done.

“Let me be very clear with what we want to do with the Apple money. We want to spend more on water, energy, housing and infrastructure. 

“We haven’t done enough on roads. I never signed up to be in a Government that was anti-car, anti-carbon.

"I do think road projects need to progress. If we are back in Government these sorts of projects will be a priority. If we got Willie Aird in the Dáil as well we’ll have someone to work for you,” he said.

Fran Baker, chair of Mountmellick Town Team, Cllr Willie Aird and Fine Gael supporter John Fitzgerald in the MDA to meet Taoiseach Simon Harris on Wednesday, November 20. Photo: Leinster Express

A double bypass of Mountmellick is recommended in a report commissioned by Laois County Council, on the Portlaoise to Tullamore side and also on the Emo road side of the town.

Mr Baker told the Leinster Express / Laois Live how bad the traffic problem is.

“It’s not on the National Transport Plan up to 2030. Up to 15,000 vehicles a day are driving through the town now. The N80 national route is through the centre of the town. It is absolutely decimating business in the centre of town.

“This has been spoken about for probably 50 years now. 

“The town team will work with Laois County Council to draw a plan for Mountmellick. I’m delighted to be the chair. The council will be appointing consultants to develop the plan. 

“They had approval before but it was overturned and there has been no progress since. There’s a lot more truck traffic now from Rosslare. It affects parking, accessibility and traffic flow through town. We have reasonable schools, we’re lucky we didn’t get a shopping centre outside the town. We need to prioritise pedestrianisation and connectivity now. 

“I see Mountmellick as the gateway to the Slieve Bloom mountains. This is about making the town a comfortable place to live,” the town team chair said.

Outgoing TD Charlie Flanagan, a native of Mountmellick, had welcomed the Taoiseach to the MDA. He told the Leinster Express that the overturning of the bypass plan some 20 years ago was “a big blow”.

“Especially when John Moloney (Fianna Fáil) and I had set party politics aside. We had a commitment from Noel Dempsey, then Minister for the Environment, a rock solid commitment to the two of us. The bypass is even more important now. 

“I am fearful we committed an own goal, the money was committed 20 years ago when it was opposed in an ill conceived referendum. Mountmellick needs urban regeneration in the town centre, to assist people to do business," Mr Flanagan said.

Laois County Council say an inner relief road for Mountmellick is under consideration since 1991.

A plan for it in 2001 didn't even reach planning stage after Irishtown residents and landowners campaigned against the route. It was to start beside the MDA and run alongside the Owenass river but they wanted it further out the Portlaoise road, a costlier option which would have also required a new bridge. After that the plan was effectively scuppered.

The council commissioned a new feasibility study on the N80 Mountmellick relief road some five years ago, and gave it to the Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to push the case. However unless the project is in the national development plan, no funding can be given.