11 October 2001 Edition
MacManus exposes Ellis on N4 dual-carriageway
Sinn FÈin Sligo/Leitrim General Election candidate Cllr Sean MacManus says that commitments given by Fianna F·il TD John Ellis at a meeting earlier this year in Boyle that the N4 was to be upgraded to dual-carriageway status have now been exposed as "untrue". MacManus was speaking after attending a meeting of the Border Regional Authority in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan on Friday 5 October, which was attended by a senior representative of the National Roads Authority (NRA).
"Earlier this year at a meeting in Boyle attended by representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and elected representatives from the local authorities along the route of the N4, Deputy John Ellis gave a clear and unambiguous commitment that the N4 is be upgraded to dual-carriageway status," said MacManus. "This commitment has now been shown to be untrue. On Friday, I attended a meeting of the Border Regional Authority in Carrickmacross. In attendance was a senior official with the NRA, who outlined to those of us present that, contrary to what Deputy Ellis claimed, the NRA has no plans whatsoever to upgrade the N4 to dual carriageway status.
"While some upgrading and realignment will occur, the N4 will be maintained as a two-lane road as it currently is. The official also outlined that the only improvement works planned for the N4 within Sligo/Leitrim are the Cloonamahon to Castlebaldwin stretch of road in Sligo and the new Carrick-on-Shannon bypass, which are not due until post-2006. This puts paid to the claims put forward by Deputy Ellis and he should now do the decent thing and apologise to the people of the region for making such a blatantly untrue statement."
MacManus also called on the government to give a specific commitment to ensure that all road works proposed in the National Development Plan will be carried out as planned.
"Earlier this year at a meeting in Boyle attended by representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and elected representatives from the local authorities along the route of the N4, Deputy John Ellis gave a clear and unambiguous commitment that the N4 is be upgraded to dual-carriageway status," said MacManus. "This commitment has now been shown to be untrue. On Friday, I attended a meeting of the Border Regional Authority in Carrickmacross. In attendance was a senior official with the NRA, who outlined to those of us present that, contrary to what Deputy Ellis claimed, the NRA has no plans whatsoever to upgrade the N4 to dual carriageway status.
"While some upgrading and realignment will occur, the N4 will be maintained as a two-lane road as it currently is. The official also outlined that the only improvement works planned for the N4 within Sligo/Leitrim are the Cloonamahon to Castlebaldwin stretch of road in Sligo and the new Carrick-on-Shannon bypass, which are not due until post-2006. This puts paid to the claims put forward by Deputy Ellis and he should now do the decent thing and apologise to the people of the region for making such a blatantly untrue statement."
MacManus also called on the government to give a specific commitment to ensure that all road works proposed in the National Development Plan will be carried out as planned.