GALWAY'S SENIOR GOVERNMENT MINISTER RUBBISHES REPORTS OF HALT TO CITY BYPASS

Date Published: 09-Feb-2009

Galway's only senior government minister has rubbished reports that the Galway city outer bypass has been halted.Minister Eamon O' Cuív says this year's funding allocation for the 15 kilometre strech between Garraun and Gort an tSleibhe in Moycullen has been approved, and the project is proceeding as planned.Last week, County Manager Martina Moloney received a letter from the Department of the Environment ordering that "no steps be taken" until Environment Minister John Gormely gave his agreement for the bypass to proceed.However, speaking on today's Keith Finnegan show, Minister O' Cuív said that the county manager had now resolved this issue, and neither the NRA nor the Department of Transport are aware of any difficulties with the bypass.The bypass has been controversial, and in fact only part of it has received planning permission to date, with a strong campaign underway to get approval for the remainder.However Minister O' Cuív is adamant the bypass sections approved are going ahead.