The R624 Fota Road is the only road onto the Great Island, with a population of 14,000 people

This morning 17th July the Fota Road was closed for two hours due to a collision, which unfortunately is a regular occurrence.

On the same morning trains were not running due to planned works,  so 14,000 people had to rely on a 56 year old ferry with capacity for 28 cars to travel in and out of our island.

The road is also liable to tidal flooding.

An upgrade of the Fota road was announced 20 years ago, a public consultation was held and a preferred route selected in 2007, work was scheduled to begin in 2010. Absolutely nothing happened since.

The only major infrastructure project in my lifetime in Cobh, Cork's second largest town, was the opening of the ferry over 30 years ago, by a private company.

Many smaller towns in our county have had several infrastructure upgrades in this time.

Our public representatives, from all political parties, have ignored this issue for decades.

We are calling for our local representatives and TD's to commit the following, and take meaningful action to reduce the extraordinary delay in infrastructure delivery 

-Implement as a matter of urgency interim measures to to re-profile the bends on the existing road to reduce accidents

-Change the designation of the Fota Road to a National Road

 -Identity a new route for a main road into the town,  including a new ring road

-Secure funding and implementation in the current Dáil term, not promises of delivery at some unspecified future date that we have been hearing for decades.