Louth TD rebukes Taoiseach for confusing Dundalk with Drogheda

Louth Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne has said that An Taoiseach's response to her when she was following up on her Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Transport, on funding for Phase 3 of the Port Access Northern Cross Route PANCR, where An Taoiseach confused the town of Dundalk with the town of Drogheda, "said it all when it comes to this governments attitude to Drogheda".

In comments to the Dundalk Democrat afterwards, Deputy Byrne said she raised the need for funding to start the final phase of the Port Access Northern Cross Route with An Taoiseach this week, saying, "following up on my Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Transport on funding for PANCR Phase 3 which stated funding of only €30,000 has been allocated to Louth County Council for the Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) scheme in 2025, which is a drop in the bucket of what is required, I raised the matter with the Taoiseach."

The Drogheda TD explained that: “The PANCR has been planned since 2006, funding applications were refused by successive Governments right up to 2022, when Phase 1 was funded by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, not the Department of Transport or the Department of Housing.

“Phase 2 is about to commence and is to be funded by Louth County Council through development levies. Phase 3, the crucial section that crosses the Dublin to Belfast railway line, is flagged as a strategic priority for Louth County Council in terms of road infrastructure with the Department of Transport. It needs to be funded by central government, to be completed and to get the PANCR over the Dublin to Belfast Railway line. 

“The Departments of Transport and Louth County Council are to meet in the first week in March regarding funding of the final phase, the crucial piece that will open the area entirely."

Calling on the government to commit to funding the project, Deputy Byrne continued: “I put it to the Taoiseach in the strongest terms that Central Government, after 19 years, must commit to funding the final phase and the completion of the port access northern cross route or it will not link up with the roads it’s supposed to and will be the biggest cul-de-sac in the State for years to come.

"When I put the question to the Taoiseach his first response was 'the Deputy will accept that the Government has invested heavily in the Dundalk area over many years' and my immediate rebuke was 'it is Drogheda, Taoiseach',"

Deputy Byrne added that “the PANCR is vital to Drogheda’s development and needs to be completed ASAP. I will pursue this matter with the government until funding is secured.