The Government needs to build more roads in Cork before they approve plans for a Luas in the city, Independent Ireland has said. 

Yesterday, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said he hopes to sign off on an initial planning project for a Cork Luas later this year. 

He described the project as "significant but badly needed” and likely to cost between €2 billion and €3 billion. 

On Lunchtime Live, Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central Ken O’Flynn said the Government should prioritise road transport infrastructure in the county over rail projects. 

“First of all, what Cork needs is a northern distributor road,” he said. 

“It needs its North Link Road, it needs its Northern Ring Road, it needs its Mallow distributor road to be built. 

“It needs the Limerick to Cork motorway to be built - those projects haven’t been delivered by Government.” 

Traffic in Cork City. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Depuyt Flynn added that the county’s poor transport infrastructure makes life incredibly difficult for many of his constituents. 

“If we’re to be serious about Cork being a counterbalance to Dublin - which is their plan in the 2040 Plan, that you can relieve Dublin of all the stresses of the overpopulation and overconcentration,” he said. 

“If they’re really going to talk about Cork and Limerick being counterbalanced cities, you have to develop the North Ring Road. 

“You’ve only a South Ring Road in Cork; you can’t distribute to businesses, you’ve your city centre clogged up. 

“Equally in Mallow, you see the Mallow distributor road hasn’t been built, which is killing off the town - I know that because I live there myself.” 

A Luas. Picture by: PA Archive/PA Images

Deputy Flynn added that while he would “love” to see a Cork Luas, he remains sceptical that - despite the Minister’s enthusiasm - there would ever be shovels in the ground.  

“I just don’t believe that an announcement of a project in a glossy brochure and a couple of photographs here and there [means it will happen],” he said. 

“We’ve seen it in Dublin; we’re 25-years in Dublin waiting for light rail on the northside of the city. 

“The reality is the Government is very good at releasing all this propaganda… and then it never sees the light of day.”  

Construction of Dublin’s MetroLink is due to begin next year - a quarter of a century after the Department of Transport first considered the idea.

Main image: Construction of new road. Picture by: Alamy.com