Public protest planned over N3 Whitegate safety concerns

A public protest over safety concerns at Whitegate Cross outside Virginia is scheduled for later this month.

Scheduled to take place from 4:30pm on October 20 next, the announcement was made at last Monday's meeting of Cavan County Council by Independent Shane P O'Reilly who had tabled a motion requesting “urgent action” by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) regarding safety at commuter collection points on the N3.

Cllr O'Reilly had raised a similar motion for discussion at a meeting of Ballyjamesduff Municipal District earlier in the month, and once again described the current situation at Whitegate as “chronic”.

The protest will take place next to Whitegate Fuels and Cllr O'Reilly said that safety concerns had been flagged going back almost a decade.

In that time, the Mullagh representative stated that his request to meet with National Transport Authority (NTA) and TII officials had been turned down on “three occasions”.

“I was told time and time again that it was part of a continuing process,” he said.

“Is it going to take the death of a child for something to be done?”

Cllr O'Reilly continued that “only for the grace of God” there had not been a fatality there in many years. However, he said there had been several “serious accidents” and near misses.

He claimed the council had been “stopped” from even cutting the grass around the commuter parking bay there.

“Enough is enough!”

Cllr O'Reilly was supported in his comments by Fine Gael's TP O'Reilly, who said that councillors did not want to be in the position of telling the executive that a tragedy would happen unless action was taken.

“It has to be addressed and it has to be addressed now,” said Cllr O'Reilly (FG), with further support from Trevor Smith (FG), Cathaoirleach Philip Brady (FF), and Winston Bennett (FG).

Responding, senior engineer and acting director of service, John McKernan, said that TII, the NTA, and Bus Éireann were all involved a process in which consultation was taking place regarding “all stops on the N3”.

This would include a “feasibility options report” covering all aspects including the potential provision of park-and-ride facilities.

The council itself was hopeful of obtaining funding to carry out out its own assessments, and were optimistic of making progress in this regard “this year”.

“There may be a number of parking facilities along the N3, not just one,” suggested Mr McKernan.

But Cllr S.P. O'Reilly stated that Whitegate should be considered as a “standalone” project given the urgency with which intervention is needed.

“No where else along the N3 is more in need,” he fumed, lamenting how the “wheels of progress” turn slowly; while the wheels of cars travelling by the point move at speed.

“We'll be sitting here feeling very sorry for ourselves one day,” warned Cllr S.P. O'Reilly if a death occurs in the interim.