... WHILE STEERING A ROUTE FOR THE M8 VIA MITCHELSTOWN

Charleville toute of €850-€900 million was from 2010 and that a more recent estimate would put the cost at €1.2 billion.

But Cork city based Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran said he believed utilising the existing M8 as far as Mitchelstown and then bringing a route north to link up with the Limerick-Waterford Road near Limerick would cost just half that.

Mr Ryan said the next government should look at all options but if it did chose a route via Mitchelstown, then the savings made on money allocated for the M20 should be ringfenced to improve public transport in Cork and Limerick.

Speaking in Cork, where he held a press briefing with the party’s five Cork general election candidates, Mr Ryan said such savings could be invested in advancing a light rail system for Cork city and improving cycle lane facilities.

“I think the best option will probably be a connection to the M8 but I wouldn’t presuppose the outcome and if that option is the better outcome and saves money then I believe that money should be invested in public transport.”

“Yes we need to improve Cork-Limerick and make sure towns like Charleville and Buttevant thrive as we do that, but does it have to be a massive motorway coming into Blackpool where there are huge other transport difficulties?

“Could we use other options to divert the traffic away from Cork and not make the mistakes made in Dublin where it’s all about motorways approaching the city and you don’t have the internal public transport options - it doesn’t work.”

Cllr Moran, who is running for the Green Party in Cork North Central, said that the Greens fully recognised that the N20 is inadequate and dangerous in places and requires major upgrades, including a bypass of Charleville.

“Given these problems, including the need for a widening of the road, it is understandable that many commuters

Photo Fergus Dennehy Perhaps it’s not surprising that Cork businessman and general election candidate Sean O’Leary has ended up on a trolly - he is, after all, reportedly running in 11 different constituencies, from Cork to Kerry to Dublin. One of our colleagues in The Kerryman came across Mr O’Leary in Tralee this week, where he was campaigning on health issues. Mr O’Leary is also running in Cork North West.