This could be disaster for the West

steph1

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article7120784.ece

Multinational companies in the west have warned that “appalling” road conditions are threatening the future of their businesses in Ireland.

Coca-Cola in Sligo, Baxter in Castlebar, Hollister in Mayo and Allergan in Westport have told the government that they may have to cut jobs if €220m is not spent improving the N5, a 134km national route running through Longford, Roscommon and Mayo.

A spokesman for the four firms said they were “embarrassed” by the condition of the road during visits by senior staff from their international headquarters in America.

Up to 3,000 people are directly employed by the companies, while an estimated 6,000 more jobs are reliant on them.

The four multinationals are part of the Mayo Industries Group, which met Brian Cowe, the taoiseach, and Noel Dempsey, the transport minister, a year ago to outline these concerns. They claim they were given assurances by the government that the problem would be addressed.

Pat O’Donnell, a spokesman for the Mayo Industries Group and managing director of Allergan, a pharmaceuticals company, said there would be serious consequences for the west of Ireland if the N5 was not upgraded soon.

“There just doesn’t seem to be any realisation at government level that failure to address the N5 situation is putting jobs at risk,” he said. “We are competing with plants in other parts of the world where there is excellent infrastructure and we are at a serious competitive disadvantage. If any one of these companies go, they will not be replaced in this part of the world.”

The multinationals have told Dempsey that the width and surface of the N5 make it unsuitable for haulage trucks making regular trips to Dublin. They estimate it would cost €220m to make the necessary improvements, but these would be recouped in taxation payments from the companies in eight months. The four multinationals are contributing €350m in tax annually.

“The quality of the road is so poor that Baxter, which makes medical products, has to increase the quality of its packaging just so that its product will survive the journey to Dublin,” said O’Donnell. “It’s costing the company an extra €400,000 a year. Baxter has two sister companies abroad that don’t have this problem. It’s just not sustainable.”

In addition to the immediate commercial pressure, O’Donnell said the quality of the road made it difficult for the companies to justify further investment in Ireland.

“We’re trying desperately to hold on to the jobs we have and build on them, but to do that we have to convince our parent companies that Ireland is a good place to be,” he said.

“When we get a company executive over from California, we put in him a car to Westport and by the time he gets to Ballaghaderreen he’s looking out the window thinking he’s in a Third World country. It’s embarrassing and it makes it almost impossible to argue for any further investment here.”

Tom Hyland, a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in the west, said: “This road needs to completed as soon as possible. I can’t stress strongly enough how important it is to enable companies which employ thousands of people to remain competitive.”

Frank Fahey and Beverley Flynn, two Fianna Fail TDs from the region, have highlighted the situation to the Oireachtas transport department. “We want to be careful to avoid any situation similar to what happened with Dell in Limerick [where the company moved to Poland],” said Flynn.

“All of these companies have sister plants in other countries. We have to think about Dell and address this issue to maintain the jobs. The taoiseach knows how I feel about this, and I met Noel Dempsey just two weeks ago to ask if he could address it. I know it’s on the list of the National Roads Authority [NRA], but whether it’s been earmarked as a priority is another question.”

A spokesman for Dempsey said: “Decisions on the allocations for different road projects is a matter for the NRA, who allocate to projects within their resources.”

Sean O’Neill, a spokesman for the NRA, said the authority did not have the money to make the necessary improvements. “We don’t need convincing that this road needs work,” he said. “We are well advanced in the planning process, but at the end of the day it is all dependent on financing and funding.

“As a result, the likely date of construction is unknown. The N5 is one of a number of national routes that we have on our list.”

Details of plans for the N5 on the NRA’s website show that key projects such as the Ballaghaderreen bypass in Roscommon and the Longford bypass are at only preliminary design stages.

Fahey said: “The American Chamber of Commerce have expressed real concerns to me that these companies are at risk of losing jobs because of this N5 situation. They’re finding it increasingly difficult to convince people in headquarters to invest here as a result.”

Neworder79

These multinationals formed a group to meet with Cowen over a year ago and express their concern for up to 6000 jobs, but nothing was done, no assurance given. If any of these multinationals do leave they will not be replaced. New IDA parks in Westoprt and Ballina have only had a couple of visits in the last 5 years and the outlook is bleak for some of the towns they support as we fall further behind cheaper economies in terms of infrastructure despite 20 years of structural funds and NDP promises about the N5. ABPs blocking of the N26 doesn't help the case either.

StudentDad

This isn't new - What's new is that it has been highlighted by the Times. The bald truth is that the FF shower of idiots who have run this country into the ground over the past 10 - 15 years don't give a damn about anything happening in Ireland west of the Shannon. Unless of course there is a pint and a fishing rod or golf club involved.

SD

yop

We don't exist down here. In the last 12 months find out how many roads have opened east of the Shannon.
Then find out out how much has been done with regards the roads down around Mayo, Roscommon etc.

I have 3 potholes on our side road for the last 4 months, "no money to repair it". Ok I told them "I have no money to pay my road tax".

Neworder79

Mayo Co. Co. have been proactive in getting Charlestown bypass and Swinford to Castlebar improvements in the past. The N5 Westport to N26 Bohola junction is designed and ready to go if approved. But the worst Roscommon/Longford sections seem to have fallen way down the list (archeological problems around Tulsk being on stumbling block).

Dempsey is today saying that all the schemes are progressing including Ballaghaderren bypass which was rumored to have been shelved earlier in the year:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dempsey-denies-jobs-at-risk-over-bad-road-2173956.html

StephenM_smc

Do they mean the Coca-Cola plant in Ballina, or does the fact they rail freight a lot of product solve their problems?

Neworder79

Some good news on this issue yesterday with Mayo Co.Co. saying the Westport - East Castlebar section (which includes Westport northern relief road and Castlebar bypass) will proceed to CPO. The remaining section to the Bohola N26 junction is now up in the air as ABP have rejected the current N26 plan which will need to interface with the upgraded N5.

lorenzo87

I am a past employee of Ballina Beverages (coca-cola) and i would say about 5-10% of the product was transported by rail, mainly to Waterford. In the warehouse, there are about 12 loading bays constantly going, a lot of trucks go in and out every day and the roads really are abysmal. Would be a sad sight to see if these places shut over the poxy government's lack of funding for the West, but nothing new there eh!!

steph1

It would be very sad if any of these companies either let staff go or shut down completely. The unemployment situation in Ballina alone is very bad and this in turn is having a knock on effect on all business in the town from restaurants, pubs, retail and taxis.
Apart from the multinational companies complaining about the condition of the roads, what about the people who live and work in these areas. They have to put up with it day in and day out plus they have to pay their taxes like everyone else. Plus the wear and tear on cars is unreal. The amount of times that I have had to get punctures repaired or new tyres in the last year is unreal.

alex73

Total Bollox, These companies are ONLY here for tax rates and cheap employment (compared to Dublin) yes nice roads would be good but they are not going to abandon their companies because of lack of them. Anyway I think coke moves most of its goods by train.

lorenzo87

alex73 wrote: »

Total Bollox, These companies are ONLY here for tax rates and cheap employment (compared to Dublin) yes nice roads would be good but they are not going to abandon their companies because of lack of them. Anyway I think coke moves most of its goods by train.

I have worked in Coke. I KNOW that this company transports at most 10% of its product by train, the only stuff that goes by train is the material for the island of Ireland, which goes to the Irish Bottlers. All the rest (the rest of the world) is bottled all over the world. No need for the foul language either by the way/

finisklin

I don't think the political will is there with our Fianna Fail friends due to our westerly location.....never mind the budgets! The recent debacle on the Ballina to Balla link road is a testament to that. Maybe if Inda makes it as Teeshot the Longford to Ballaghadereen road will be his priority.....at least he will be able to get home quicker to Fionnuala!

Have to admit the Charlestown bypass has made trips to Dublin that bit more bearable.....don't mind Longford B'dereen so much in Summer, Winter it's a b*tch of a journey!

unit 1

Ah yes the new Charlwstown bypass, a great road indeed where most of its lenght is governed by a solid white line:rolleyes:.
Millions spent on a new road the bulk of which you cannot overtake on, is surely not good value when new thinking seems to be to build DCs, even here in the west.

nuac

The N5 has improved over the years, except the Ballaghadereen to Strokestown portion.

MCC recently announced that pending a decision on the N26 that CPO work will commence on the Westport Castlebar road without as previously planned doing same as far as Bohola.

Pity about the N26 ABP decision - whooper swans more important than human life?

Neworder79

Quote "...is surely not good value when new thinking seems to be to build DCs, even here in the west"

Yes and a couple of million more had to be provided this year to add filter lanes and hard shoulders on Charlestown bypass that should have been there from the beginning, but at least some of the junctions have improved. And as for the cost of the invisible sculpture...

It's now the policy of the NRA to design type 2 DC minimum for national routes. ABP seem to think that's too good for us, blocking the N26 in favor of a “more modest” alternative.

finisklin

Neworder79 wrote: »

Quote

And as for the cost of the invisible sculpture...

What invisible sculpture?

Neworder79

Exactly, it's invisible! Keep your eyes peeled as you pass the junction where the old road rejoins he bypass outside Swinford.

StephenM_smc

Compared to some of the other structures they have put in on the roads, I quite like the one on the Swinford end of the by-pass.