Danny Healy-Rae Urges Temporary Lights at Daly's Roundabout
Danny Healy-Rae addressed the minister about plans to remove Daly's roundabout on the IN22 in Killarney and replace it with traffic lights. He urged that temporary traffic lights be installed first to test the change and warned that replacing the roundabout before the altered bypass is finished would create mayhem.
He called for temporary lights to be erected at Daly's roundabout, noting a proposal by the TII and Kerry County Council to replace the roundabout with five sets of traffic lights. He emphasised that temporary lights should be provided first to see how the arrangement would work.
He warned that Killarney is already "choked from every side getting in and out of it" and argued that proceeding to replace the roundabout now could worsen traffic problems. He said the roundabout should only be removed if the altered bypass is finished.
He acknowledged there may be engineers in the local authority with reasons for the change and pointed to the involvement of the TII and Kerry County Council in the proposal. He asked that the matter be conveyed to the Minister for Transport for consideration.
The minister said he was aware of the roundabout but had been unaware it was to be replaced with traffic lights and that he did not hold strong views on roundabouts versus traffic lights. He said he would raise the issue with the Minister for Transport but could not guarantee intervention in what might become a row over the choice of junction control.
Request for temporary lights
He called for temporary lights to be erected at Daly's roundabout, noting a proposal by the TII and Kerry County Council to replace the roundabout with five sets of traffic lights. He emphasised that temporary lights should be provided first to see how the arrangement would work.
Traffic congestion concerns
He warned that Killarney is already "choked from every side getting in and out of it" and argued that proceeding to replace the roundabout now could worsen traffic problems. He said the roundabout should only be removed if the altered bypass is finished.
Authorities and engineering judgment
He acknowledged there may be engineers in the local authority with reasons for the change and pointed to the involvement of the TII and Kerry County Council in the proposal. He asked that the matter be conveyed to the Minister for Transport for consideration.
Ministerial reply
The minister said he was aware of the roundabout but had been unaware it was to be replaced with traffic lights and that he did not hold strong views on roundabouts versus traffic lights. He said he would raise the issue with the Minister for Transport but could not guarantee intervention in what might become a row over the choice of junction control.
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Transcript
Minister, I want to ask you a specific question in relation to Daly's roundabout in Killarney on the IN22, which you know very well. There is a proposal by the TII and Kerry County Council to remove the roundabout and replace it with traffic lights. What I am asking clearly is that temporary lights be erected. There are supposed to be five sets of traffic lights put up instead of the roundabout. That temporary lights be provided first to see how this will work, because Killarney has already choked from every side getting in and out of it. And I am asking, and in any case, what I am saying to these people is this roundabout should be removed or this work shouldn't be done, the altered bypass is finished and clearly done because it will create mayhem to replace the roundabout with traffic lights. I am asking you to deliver that to the Minister for Transport. I am aware of that roundabout and I was unaware, however, that it was being replaced with traffic lights. I don't have strong views on the preference of roundabouts or traffic lights or which is more preferable. But I suspect there are engineers in the local authority who have views on it, and there must be some reason as to why they are seeking to replace the roundabout with traffic lights. I will raise the issue you have mentioned with the Minister for Transport, but I can't guarantee he is going to start sticking his nose into a row about whether we need a roundabout or traffic lights. Thank you, Minister Deputy.