Daniel McConnell: Limerick road dispute tests fragile bonds of coalition
Willie O’Dea let rip at Eamon Ryan,
saying that with €17m spent on the road project, he was being made to look like a ‘eunuch’ due to Mr Ryan’s actions.
Few matters stir passions in Irish politics more than roads.
In recent decades, from the M3 and Tara, to the widening of the Glen of the Downs in Wicklow, from the M20 to the ongoing Busconnects row in Dublin, we love a good barney over a road.
This week, a major inter-government dispute kicked off between Fianna Fáil and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan over his failure to progress the proposed link road between Coonagh and Knockalisheen at Moyross, Limerick.
This latest row has already escalated into a sharp war of words and a threat from Fianna Fáil TDs that they cannot be expected to back Green proposals in the Programme for Government if this project, which they support, is not progressed.
At the private Fianna Fáil parliamentary party on Wednesday, veteran Limerick TD Willie O’Dea was in rare form.
Described as an “infrequent contributor” at these meetings of late, Mr O’Dea took the floor and let rip at Mr Ryan in no uncertain terms.
In his typically colourful manner, saying that €17 million of taxpayer’s money has already been spent on this project, Mr O’Dea said he was being made to look like a eunuch by Mr Ryan’s refusal to budge on the matter.
Sources said Mr O’Dea was “incensed” by the delays and told the meeting that Mr Ryan had said the country “already has enough roads”.
Quoting Hollywood star Clint Eastwood, Mr O’Dea said of Mr Ryan: “Don’t urinate down my back and tell me it’s raining,” to widespread humour.
Mr O’Dea was backed by other Munster TDs and senators, including Cathal Crowe and Timmy Dooley.
Former deputy leader of the party, Éamon Ó Cuiv, was also deeply critical of Mr Ryan, saying he “needs to be stopped” and asked whether the proposed new ring road for Galway is in jeopardy.
In what was seen as a significant intervention, several sources at the meeting said Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave Mr O’Dea his backing on the matter and he promised he would raise the issue with Mr Ryan.
Junior Education Minister Niall Collins has also come out publicly calling for the Moyross road to proceed.
“This is a critical piece of infrastructure and should proceed as soon as possible,” he said.
In a letter to the Taoiseach, Mr Collins said: “I am asking you to intercede on behalf of the good people of Limerick and ask the minister to advance this road scheme immediately.
"We have known since the Fitzgerald report of 2007 that this road scheme is critical for the regeneration of one of the most severely disadvantaged areas in the country.
"It is now time that we deliver some good news and hope to the people of Moyross and North Limerick.”
Then the row escalated yesterday with Mr O’Dea accusing Mr Ryan of acting in “clear breach” of the terms of the programme for government.
“€17 million of taxpayers money has already been spent on preparatory work on the road. And we're just waiting for the minister to sign off on it, and suddenly the Minister for Transport changed and we've found that the minister is not signing off on it,” Mr O’Dea said.
“There's great consternation throughout the area generally, not just in MoyRoss, but right throughout the city at what is perceived as the government's failure to fulfil its promises in the programme for government,” he added.
Mr O’Dea gave voice to the possible threat of Fianna Fáil TDs at the parliamentary party not supporting Green measures when they need to be voted upon in the Dáil.
Referring to comments made at the meeting, Mr O’Dea said: “In fairness, I didn't hear any of my colleagues saying that — let me be absolutely clear — I'm saying it. The programme for government is a compromise.
"There are certain things in there in the programme for government at the behest of the Greens, which they expect me to support, even though I might not like them and I don't like some of them. And if they expect me to support their proposals, surely to goodness I can expect them to support the proposals put in at our behest.”
For his part, Mr Ryan said that he was "carefully considering" the project but said that Moyross would be "an important node" on a proposed suburban rail link.
"Limerick, and Moyross in particular, deserve high-quality connectivity that goes beyond roads, to include active travel and public transport.
"Minister Ryan has met Moyross residents virtually, and has acknowledged that road connectivity is part of the solution for the area, but not the only one,” his spokesman said.
On radio, in a robust exchange with Mr O’Dea, Mr Ryan said the Government and society all have to deliver for the people of Moyross because that area, more than any other, has been left without proper transport and was left in a cul de sac that cuts down its connectivity to the rest of the city.
Mr Ryan said he was willing to approve part of the project but wants to explore other transport options for the rest of it, an option which Mr O’Dea utterly rejected.
“I completely reject the notion of partial road, because what's actually being proposed will result in a rat run through a residential area of Moyross,” he said.
“No on my watch would I allow Moyross to become a rat run,” Mr Ryan responded.
“We do have to get good transport planning and the right transport plan to the area.”
Mr Ryan said he is looking at the four existing rail lines in Limerick to develop new railway stations and it is in that context that the pause on the part of the road is occurring.
Since the row erupted this week, there have been suggestions that some Fianna Fáil representatives have changed their position on the road from being dead against it to now being for it.
Some have pointed to Mr Crowe’s comments back in 2015 when he sought to stop the preferred route of the road as he said at the time it would split the village of Parteen.
Addressing this point, Mr O’Dea told me: “There are two phases to this project. No one is against the project in principle, but people have expressed concerns around the route proposed as it would at present go through a floodplain and also divide up a village in two. So people have merely voiced their concerns on that."
Whatever the rights and wrongs of this row, it does pose real challenges for the cohesiveness of the Government.
The implicit threat from Fianna Fáil TDs of a revolt on Green issues is not one that can be summarily dismissed.
Coalition governments always throw up moments of real tension and disagreement and rarely are they resolved without some lingering resentment or worse some destruction of trust between the parties.
With Mr Martin, as Taoiseach, giving his blessing to Mr O’Dea to challenge Mr Ryan and by promising to raise it, the issue has taken on an increased significance.
Logic dictates that either Mr Ryan will be forced into a u-turn and push the button on the long-awaited road or a major revolt within Fianna Fail is coming.
Either way, the already fragile bonds of coalition are set to be severely tested.
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