Cavan-Monaghan TD Niamh Smyth has told the Dáil that if funding is not given to Cavan County Council to provide safe park and ride facilities on the N3 “an accident will happen”.
Deputy Smyth raised the issue with the Junior Minister for Transport Jack Chambers last night.
In her statement to the Dáil, she said unfortunately the motorway takes a “sudden stop” at Whitegate leaving Cavan with a “truncated” version of the N3.
She said she was there to ask the Minister for money for Cavan County Council to provide park-and-ride-facilities.
The local TD earmarked Whitegate, the area around Lavey GAA and the Lavey Inn, Killygarry-Poles and a site at Tractamotors on the way out of Cavan town as potential locations for park-and-ride.
In response, the Junior Minister said Transport Infrastructure for Ireland and Cavan County Council were currently carrying out feasibility studies on two possible sites for park and ride.
Niamh Smyth told the Minister local people need urgent action.
"The Whitegate is the most obvious and evident one," she told Jack Chambers, "there isn't even the use of a GAA park like at the Lavey Inn Hotel, which, very kindly gives over parking as well.
"We don't even have anywhere to take land from so you see people parking at the bus stop," an exasperated Niamh Smyth continued, "It's really, really, really dangerous and people feel so passionately about this that they're coming out to protest about it on Friday.
"I want to make sure that you give all the support you can to Cavan County Council to get them the funding they need to deliver it."
Deputy Smyth used her time in the Dáil to also ask the Minister to be “ambitious enough” to include Cavan in any future rail lines planning and for the minister to put pressure on the NTA over the “chaotic junction” on the main street in Bailieborough.
