Dangerous road 'blackspot' near Waterford City raised in Dáil
The road's "deadly history" was acknowledged by the local council.
The danger of the N25 roadway, which connects Wexford and Cork, was raised in the Dáil last week with the stretch towards Waterford City being labelled as a "blackspot".
Carlow-Kilkenny TD Natasha Newsome Drennan complained of a dangerous "blackspot" on the way into Waterford City and called for immediate action on the roadway.
Deputy Newsome Drennan labelled the stretch near the Rhu Glenn Hotel on the national road as "one such blackspot" which has caused devastation and grief through road traffic deaths.
"Just after Christmas, a local woman's life was tragically cut short there. Her family, friends and neighbours are now left to grapple with the loss. I send my sincere condolences to them all," she said, "The community has pleaded repeatedly for urgent safety upgrades, yet progress crawls at a snail's pace.
"Rural infrastructure and the N25 need to be treated as a priority. Communities across Ireland must be shown the respect they deserve, not left waiting indefinitely for safety measures to be put in place. The clock is ticking. We need to see action before another family's life is shattered."
The Carlow-Kilkenny representative said she had raised the "blackspot" with the local council "which acknowledged the road's deadly history but offered no timeline for action".
Deputy Newsome Drennan described how she has been subject to a "game of Pass The Parcel" with different departments passing her queries across to each other.
"Every delay and deflection risks more lives," she said, "These deaths must not be reduced to statistics on a Government spreadsheet.
"We need a clear plan with deadlines set in stone, not vague promises of reviews with no timelines. We urgently need safety measures to be implemented at the Rhu Glenn Hotel, and other blackspots across Carlow and Kilkenny."
