TRANSPORT Minister Leo Varadkar has stated that An Bord Pleanala’s decision to refuse planning permission for the Adare bypass “wasn’t really a surprise”. Speaking to Limerick Post, Mr Varadkar said that even if permission was granted, “we couldn’t afford to build it anyway, so in terms of practical impact there really isn’t any”. “It would have been useful to have the planning permission because at least in the future, the option would have been there to build it if we had the money to do so.”
He said that the proposed bypass was very much lined up with the M20 project which is “not affordable for the foreseeable future”.
“I guess what the NRA will now talk with Limerick County Council and see if an alternative plan can be developed.”
When asked about the potential negative effect Adare’s traffic problems could have on tourism in the area, he said the evidence was “very mixed”.
“When you put in motorways and bypasses, what you get is a lot more daytrippers and fewer people staying overnight. The experience in Clare is that you can get to Clare from Dublin in two hours and all the attractions are doing much better but the hotels are doing worse. Transport is always a double-edged sword when it comes to tourism but I think it certainly would have improved the quality of life for people living in Adare”, he concluded.
