Rose Conway-Walsh: Rural Ireland Failing Under Infrastructure Neglect
Rose Conway-Walsh challenged the Minister in the House over the critical infrastructure bill and chronic underinvestment in rural infrastructure. She named the R312, Belderrig pier maintenance, the Newport sewerage delay and the stalled SDZ at Knock airport as urgent examples.
Main concerns: Rose Conway-Walsh set out why the bill must not become another failure for rural Ireland. She warned that years of underinvestment in regional and local roads, water and waste water treatment plants are leaving communities exposed and hindering local economies.
Roads and lifelines: The TD highlighted the R312 from Belmullet to Castlebar as a case study in neglect, recounting repeated requests for strategic designation and the everyday hardship caused by potholes and dangerous conditions. She stressed that local access roads funded under LIS are critical for residents and property owners who still wait years for basic repairs.
Water, piers and hospitals: Conway-Walsh raised the Newport sewerage scheme delay to 2030 and criticised the lack of maintenance at Belderrig pier after the tragic death of Joachim McNulty. She also noted repeated, unfulfilled announcements about hospital projects such as Mayo University Hospital and Belmullet facilities.
Accountability and timetable: The speech pressed the Minister for clear accountability, funding and realistic delivery timescales, and urged faster designation of strategic projects including the SDZ around Knock airport. Conway-Walsh argued that rural communities deserve basic, safe infrastructure now, not repeated promises.
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Go raibh maith agat, Leann Comhairleach. Minister, I hope that the critical infrastructure bill won't represent yet another failure for rural Ireland, which for too long has been left behind with regards to investment in infrastructure in this country. Nowhere is it more evident than in the state of our regional and local roads that are in urgent need of investment, and also our waste water treatment plants and our water infrastructure. In Mayo, our roads are lifelines for our communities. However, years of underinvestment have left many of these roads in poor condition, placing a daily burden on residents and undermining economic development. Many times now in this House I have asked for the R312 connecting the Arras region and Castlebar to be designated a strategic regional road so that it receives the necessary funding to be upgraded and improved for the many, many people who rely on it daily. I must tell you, Minister, when my friend was travelling on the R312 a couple of weeks ago and her Fitbit in her hand went off to say that she was working out, well anyone who, and this is the absolute truth, anyone who has travelled the R312 will see exactly what is meant by that. If that doesn't tell you, from Belmullet to Castlebar, the R312, it is absolutely horrendous and we've asked for years, if not for decades, to have that strategically designated. Like there's no point in having a wild Atlantic Way and, you know, all kinds of advertisements if we don't have the basic infrastructure to go on. That's the main road that's connecting the hospital with Arras as well and we talked here a number of weeks ago about Stephen Lavelle from Belmullet who lost his life while waiting for an ambulance. That's the road, that's the last road that he travelled, the R312. It is just crazy and rural Ireland cannot reach its full potential if its infrastructures continue to lag behind. Households wait for years on end to get funding for the LIS roads. I know we're talking about critical infrastructure here, but you see to somebody who's trying to access their house, that is critical for them. It's critical for them to have a road to drive on. They pay property tax and other tax and yet they are denied basic access. I was in Belderig in North Mayo a couple of weeks ago. One of the roads I drove on there was covered in absolutely huge potholes. Now I was embarrassed, never mind, but my god if I was in government and in government for all these years I would be absolutely ashamed because no one takes responsibility. People just have to wait and wait for repairs that never come. The list of the LIS roads get longer and longer. So where's the accountability and where's the funding? We're not looking for highways, just roads that are fit to drive on. I raised the issue of the maintenance and repairs for piers with the Taoiseach. The tragic death of Joshua McNulty who drowned when his car slipped on the algae into the pier was completely avoidable if the proper maintenance and safety features were done on Belderig pier. That is critical infrastructure. Then we look at the things like the hospitals, Mayo University Hospital but Belmont Hospital. Every time there's an election there's an announcement and another announcement and another announcement and people wait and they wait and they wait for projects that are never delivered, that are absolutely critical to communities. Equally as important are the other things. You'll be very familiar with the Newport sewerage scheme. I mean we're told now it's going to be 2030. For heaven's sake Minister, please, please, these are vital pieces of infrastructure that need to be done. The people of Newport and like the craziness about it, like the businesses in Newport are asked to pay for the sewerage going into the bay. It is just so, so, so wrong and it cannot continue. So I hope that this, in some way, that this bill will serve to address that. The SDZ around Knock airport absolutely has to be done as well and has to be speeded up. We can't wait any longer Minister.
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