'I've been misled': Fianna Fáil TD threatens to resign unless East Cork included in National Development Plan
James O’Connor said that the by-passes should have been included in the 2014 plan, if they had then they would have been built by now. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos
The Taoiseach says that he will speak to Cork East TD James O'Connor tomorrow to quell his anger at the National Development Plan saying that the dispute can be solved.
Mr O'Connor said that he was misled to believe the Castlemartyr and Killeagh by-pass projects would be included in the National Development Plan.
The Fianna Fáil TD tweeted: "An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin and the Minister for Transport will meet me tomorrow afternoon to discuss the new National Development Plan document.
"I will be seeking assurances on key road projects that have not been directly identified."
He had previously said that he would be looking at a number of options “including resigning the whip of the Fianna Fáil party" if he didn't get a meeting with the Taoiseach or the Minister for Transport.
Mr O’Connor has said that despite repeated assurances for some time, it was not until last Sunday night that he discovered that neither of the East Cork projects would be included in the National development Plan.
When asked if he felt that he was lied to, Mr O’Connor said “yes, by a multitude of colleagues.
“I feel I have been deeply misled. I am hurt.”
Speaking to reporters in Slovenia, Micheál Martin said that there is a clause in the National Development Plan to allow for roads and bypasses to be added even if they are not in the €265 billion plan.
He said that an appraisal of the Killeagh/Castlemartyr bypass scheme is being carried out by Cork County Council and that there will be "further engagement" tomorrow.
"I spoke to James today.
"It makes it clear on page 50 that the National Development Plan is not an exhaustive list of projects - that is made crystal clear. Those projects which are in the previous NDP are referenced.
"I have clarified that and while I'm not in a position to engage today, there will be further engagement tomorrow."
He said that the Ministers for Transport and Public Expenditure are entitled to engage projects outside the scope of the NDP.
The Taoiseach, when announcing the National Development Plan, said there is flexibility to facilitate them - he name-checked the Castlemartyr relief road - if other projects are delayed.
“We want a menu there that we can go to, for shovel-ready schemes, if there are delays elsewhere,” he said.
When he received the call on Sunday night informing him that the East Cork road projects would not be included, Mr O’Connor said he was not given a reason.
“I want to register my anger, my upset at the fact that I was deeply misled.”
He said that as a Fianna Fáil TD he had acted in good faith and had met with different Government ministers, from the Taoiseach to the Minister for Public Expenditure to the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, to lobby for the project which was crucial to the future of East Cork.
“All I had asked for was €54 million to provide two relief roads” which he said would have a huge impact on the economy of the area which was still recovering from the loss of 4,000 jobs since the year 2000.
Speaking on
prior to the Taoiseach's comments, Mr O'Connor criticised the decision to proceed with a number of other projects which require much larger budgets.
"I think it's a bit rich for the Department of Transport to be prioritising projects that will cost up to €10 billion including Metro North and Metrolink in Dublin when projects in my constituency that are under €100 million in value were ignored."
Mr O’Connor also criticised other local representatives, who, he said, “sought to use this as a stick to beat me with.”
“I’ve been fighting the good fight as hard as I can behind the scenes. Nobody told me at any stage that it wasn’t a runner.”
Mr O’Connor said that the by-passes should have been included in the 2014 plan, if they had then they would have been built by now.
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