Road Network Seanad Éireann — 2026-04-29 ============================================================ Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central I dtús báire, gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an ní iontaigh agus thábhachtaigh seo maidir leis an mbóthar M20 agus na bóithre máguaird a phlé sa Seanad. I thank him for raising the M20. He is right that the safety concerns are real. The volume of traffic has increased and there is a real fear on that road. I commend the Senator on working with Councillor Liam Madden on raising the matter here and being advocates for it. Councillor Madden met me at the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, conference last week and spoke about it as well. The points the Senator makes are very important in the context of the advancement of the M20 motorway. I wish to use this opportunity to highlight the important work that has been undertaken so we can develop, as the Senator said, safe pedestrian access and egress on the road as well as cycle infrastructure across the country and more specifically at this place in Cork. I confirm the Government's strong commitment to active travel. There will be €360 million a year until 2030 for a €1.8 billion investment between now and the end of the decade, which builds on over €1 billion invested since 2021. This means we have had almost 1,100 km of new walking and cycling infrastructure. That has been in many different guises, but in particular the safe routes to schools initiative. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, cannot be here and sends his apologies. He has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for active travel. The planning, design and construction of individual active travel projects is a matter for TII. It is important, as the Senator said, that we all work together to ensure we make this road safer. On that safe pedestrian and cycle infrastructure to enable local people to safely cross the N20 road, he is right there is no big settlement pattern like a village in the place he spoke about. I have been advised the population settlement of Mourneabbey has been included within the preferred route option for the N20-M20 road upgrade project. This road upgrade project includes provision for a shared use active travel facility that is expected to primarily run alongside the road. The route will be separated from the road via a substantive verge or barrier to provide a safe and segregated corridor for pedestrians and cyclists. This walking and cycling infrastructure will provide communities, including those of Blarney, Rathduff, Mourneabbey, Mallow, Buttevant, Charleville, Banoge, Croom and Patrickswell, with a safe and accessible means of sustainable travel. However, a transport hub for Mourneabbey has been proposed and is welcomed. Mobility hubs are where people can change mode and integrate with public transport via park-and-ride car and bike parking facilities. The Senator is right that is a bit of time away so there is a need for urgent action on the point he has made here. The N20-M20 road upgrade announced three years ago is at design and environmental evaluation phase. This is expected to conclude later this year with the submission of a business case to the Department of Transport. It will go for Government approval under the infrastructure guidelines and then An Coimisiun Pleanála. However, in the timeframe the Senator speaks about, it is important we see TII and Cork County Council look at short-term measures. I believe there has been engagement between the two bodies on available budgets so we can improve active mobility in the region and I am told that work is ongoing. I am very conscious this is an important and a well-used road where there have been fatalities and near misses and accidents involving pedestrians and motorists. I highlight to the House that Cork County Council has been allocated just under €20 million from the NTA and TII to support over 70 active travel and greenway schemes this year. For me as a Minister of State in the Department, it is about ensuring we work with the Senator and Councillor Madden. What we have outlined here are prime examples of where intervention can join those dots in the interim and improve the lived experience of the residents and local people who use this road daily. I assure the Senator of my ongoing support. I will take his remarks back to the Minister and TII. We must continue to ensure we have not just connectivity and sustainable transport choices but safe roads. There is huge concern along the N20 at the moment and it is in all of our interests that we do what the Senator has asked and put in place a suite of measures to improve that point. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-04-29/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:52+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-04-29