Only National Road Out Of Dublin "Never Upgraded": TD Presses For N81 Upgrade In Dáil

Friday, 11 July 2025 14:55

By Martin Osborne

Raising the issue during a Dáil debate, Wicklow Fine Gael TD Edward Timmins cited multiple studies identifying the N81 as “one of the most dangerous roads in the country.”

The N81 national road, which runs from Tallaght, west Wicklow, parts of Kildare and into Carlow, remains the only national road out of the capital that has never been upgraded, the Dáil has heard.

Raising the issue during a Dáil debate, Wicklow Fine Gael TD Edward Timmins cited multiple studies identifying the N81 as “one of the most dangerous roads in the country.”

He told the chamber that a preferred route option for an upgrade had been selected but was shelved in 2018, and called for its reinstatement in the upcoming National Development Plan (NDP).

“The N81 is the only national road out of Dublin that has never been upgraded,” Timmins said. “This needs to be put into the national development plan, NDP. I ask that it be considered for inclusion in the new NDP.”

In response, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said a number of safety measures had been introduced or are underway.

These include €400,000 in funding for a realignment project near Stratford-on-Slaney; appointment of technical advisers to progress the scheme through planning; traffic-calming works near Hollywood village; and smaller interventions at Blessington and Baltinglass.

Chambers confirmed that further decisions regarding the N81’s inclusion in the new NDP would be made by Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien.