There’s hardly a meeting goes by in Laois County Council without some reference to TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland).
And so it was this week at the most recent meeting of the Borris-in-Ossory/Municipal District.
A motion from the Mountmellick-based Fianna Fáil councillor Paddy Bracken that the TII work with Laois County Council to provide traffic calming and speed reduction measures on the N80 at Graigue, Mountmellick.
“There is shocking speed coming into the town and there is a huge volume of traffic.
“Residents are in fear there. We need some measures put in place. There is also an issue at Upper Forest and there has been several accidents.”
Cllr Bracken explained the because the N80, a national road, goes right through the heart of Mountmellick, issues are primarily dealt with by the TII and not Laois County Council as it would be on a local road.
“In Mountmellick, because of the N80, everything goes back to the TII and it’s a long, drawn-out process.”
“I don’t think the TII are up to the job,” added Cllr Ollie Clooney from Durrow.
“We want work done on the ground. We are blue in the face going to the TII.”
Mountrath-based Cllr James Kelly said that with no inclusion of a relief road for Mountmellick in the National Development Plan, “the TII need to step up to the mark and improve what is there”.
Cllr Bracken then asked council officials if representatives from the TII have ever addressed a Laois County Council meeting.
Nobody could remember a time when they did. Councillors were informed that a letter had been sent recently asking for them to make a presentation at a full meeting.
“Send it again,” was the general response from across the political spectrum.
You can expect it to be on the agenda again.
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