Tipperary N24 upgrades are in new transport plan as TDs plead for funds to revive one project

The future of two long-awaited upgrades of the N24 in south Carrick-on-Suir received a welcome boost last week with their inclusion in the Government’s €24.3 billion transport investment plan for the next five years.

The N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction & Oola project and N24 Cahir to Waterford upgrade project are listed in the Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport approved by the Cabinet last Wednesday, November 26. The plan is part of the National Development Plan review.

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The Cahir to Limerick Junction/Oola upgrade, including bypasses of Tipperary Town, Bansha, Limerick Junction, Monard and Oola, is listed in the plan among the major national road projects scheduled to commence procurement or construction by 2030.

The plan estimates the project’s procurement by 2029 with a construction timeline of 2030 and beyond.

The design of the N24 Cahir to Waterford upgrade is less advanced and is listed in the Sectoral Investment Plan among the “road projects to be advanced for future construction” with no timeline given for procurement or construction commencing.

The “preferred transport solution corridor” for the upgrade of this 60km section of the N24 was announced in January, 2024. It includes proposals to bypass Kilsheelan and Carrick-on-Suir.

The 37km Cahir to Limerick Junction/Ooa upgrade project received €2.5m this year to progress its design. But the Cahir to Waterford upgrade project only received €80,000, which was insufficient to move it to the next stage of design.

Tipperary, Waterford and Kilkenny County Councils along with Oireachtas members from the three counties have been lobbying the Government for months to secure the funding needed to resume the N24 Cahir to Waterford project design.

Fianna Fáil Senator Imelda Goldsboro welcomed the inclusion of the two N24 upgrade schemes in the transport investment plan and declared their inclusion was the “result of years of relentless advocacy to ensure south Tipperary is not left behind.”

She pledged to continue to work closely with her Fianna Fáil colleagues to ensure these essential schemes progress without delay.

Before Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien announced the transport plan two south Tipperary TDs appealed in the Dáil that morning for funding to be allocated to the project next year.

Independent TD Mattie McGrath said the number of fatalities on the N24 in Tipperary has been “just appalling” and pointed out that 25% of the county’s road fatalities occurred on a 65km stretch of the N24 despite the route only accounting for 1% of the county’s roads.

The Newcastle TD said almost €20m had been spent on the Cahir to Waterford N24 upgrade project and the work carried out already will be wasted money if the Government didn’t continue to fund its progress to planning stage.

He added: “I cannot impress enough how important this is for people living on the route, farming on the route and people who want to get planning permission for anything else. This development must get the green light. We must know where we are and get certainty.”

Deputy Michael Murphy, who chairs the Oireachtas Transport Committee, highlighted the urgency of getting the Cahir to Waterford section of the N24 upgraded, particularly for Clonmel.

“The Clonmel Bypass is carrying more than 20,000 vehicles every single day, far beyond its intended capacity. This results in daily congestion, compromised safety and real economic loss for businesses and communities across Tipperary and the wider region.

“It is not a local issue. It is a bottleneck that is affecting connectivity between Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford and ultimately the functioning of our ports and supply chains. The N24 is a spine linking two major cities yet one half of the corridor moves ahead while the other is left waiting. That is simply not tenable,” he said.

Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture Michael Healy-Rae responded that the N24 Cahir to Waterford upgrade was nearing the end of the route options selection phase and Kilkenny County Council, as the lead authority, was making final preparations for publication of the route selection report.

“While it was not possible to allocate funding to progress the project to the design and environmental evaluation phase in 2025, it is important to point out that the project remains part of the NDP.

“As with all national roads projects in the NDP, the delivery programme for the N24 Waterford to Cahir project will be kept under review for 2025 and in future years and will be considered in terms of the overall funding envelope available to Transport Infrastructure Ireland.”

Minister Healy-Rae added that roads funding allocations for 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks.

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