FAQ’S

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Q1.1	Who is running the project?
A1.1	Tipperary County Council in conjunction with Limerick City and County Council are progressing the development of the N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction Project. The project is being managed by Mid West National Roads Design Office with Arup appointed as lead consultant to advance the project through the planning and design process.
Q1.2	Why is the project needed?
A1.2	The N24 is a strategic corridor from Limerick to Waterford and is particularly important for the enhancement of accessibility to the towns it passes through, namely Tipperary Town, Cahir, Clonmel and Carrrick-on-Suir and their rural hinterland. The N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction Project endeavours to resolve the existing transport and safety issues along the section of the N24 between Cahir and Limerick Junction.
Q1.3	When is the earliest timeframe that the project could be built?
A1.3	The project is currently programmed to submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in Q2 2024. Once the planning application is submitted, An Bord Pleanála dictate the project timeline for the Oral Hearing (if one is required) and their decision date. If a positive decision is made by An Board Pleanála, and there are no court challenges to this decision, and funding for construction is approved by government it will subsequently take approximately two years to complete the detailed design and appoint a contractor. The duration for construction is currently unknown as the extents of the project are still unknown at this Phase. Therefore, the only certainty on timeframe at present is that it is expected that the submission of the planning application to An Bord Pleanála will occur in 2024.
Q1.4	When will the project be submitted for planning permission and get planning consent?
A1.4	The project is currently programmed to submit a planning application to An Bord Pleanála in Q2 2024. Once the planning application is submitted An Bord Pleanála, they dictate the project timeline for the Oral Hearing (if one is required) and their decision date.
Q1.5	Why is the project starting again from a blank canvas? What has happened to the previous project?
A1.5	The previous project was developed and assessed nearly 10 years ago and a lot may have changed in those years in terms of constraints and people’s movements (travel for work, education and recreation). It is important to start from a blank canvas to fully understand what the transport issues are, what are the trip generators and attractors and what is the most optimal transport solution.
Q1.6	Can the section around Tipperary Town be prioritised and are interim measures being examined as part of this project that could help to improve traffic flow through Tipperary Town?
A1.6	The transport issues along the full extents of the study area are being assessed and transport solutions are in development. The transport issues at Tipperary Town are part of these studies and a solution will be progressed as part of this project. The development of options for consideration as part of this project will be progressed in an incremental manner; from a base point of building up from the existing road network to potentially developing a totally new piece of road infrastructure.  It is important to note that there are safety and transport issues along the full extents of the project which also need to be considered and addressed. All transport modes including walking and cycling facilities and improved public transport are being considered as part of the project. Future technologies such as facilities for autonomous vehicles will also be considered.
Q1.7	How was the study area defined?
A1.7	The study area was developed to ensure there is enough scope to consider all aspects of a sustainable transport solution for this section of the N24 corridor. It encompasses the extents of the former Emerging Preferred Route Corridor (EPRC) route while also allowing for the development of additional options as well as fully including the existing N24 under consideration and the extents of the town and villages along the route. The selection of the study area was further influenced by the following factors: -Topography within the area -Extent and catchment of public transport infrastructure -Environmental criteria -Potential zone of influence of options and impacts
Q1.8	How was the Constraints Study undertaken?
A1.8	The identification of constraints involves initially carrying out desktop studies. The extent and nature of certain constraints are then verified by means of site visits. These surveys are further supplemented through stakeholder engagement and public consultation.
Q1.9	Will my house be given the same level of importance as other constraints?
A1.9	Your house is an important constraint and will be considered among all the constraints.
Q1.10	Who is carrying out the environmental assessments on the options?
A1.10	A large team of specialists are conducting the environmental assessments for the project. The numerous disciplines and their relevant specialists are listed below. -Landscape and Visual – Brady Shipman Martin -Ecology – Scott Cawley Ltd. -Archaeology and Cultural Heritage – Irish Archaeological Consultancy (IAC) -Human Beings and Population – Optimize Consultants -Air Quality – Arup -Climate – Arup -Noise and Vibration – AWN Consulting -Soils and Geology – Arup -Hydrogeology – Arup -Hydrology – Hydro Environmental Ltd. -Agronomy – Curtin Agricultural Consultants
Q1.11	When will the planning permissions, which are currently frozen due to comments from this scheme, be unfrozen?
A1.11	We expect the options to be developed by Q2 2021 and a preferred option to be adopted in Q2 2022. Planning reviews will be undertaken on all planning applications of interest throughout the duration of the project, noting that the extent of the area of interest will reduce as we progress towards defining the emerging preferred option.
Q1.12	When will the current planning referrals area be refined to a number of corridors?
A1.12	We expect the options to be developed by Q2 2021 and a preferred option to be adopted in Q2 2022. Planning reviews will be undertaken on all planning applications of interest throughout the duration of the project, noting that the extent of the area of interest will reduce as we progress towards defining the emerging preferred option.  The current area of interest is the constraints study area. Once options have been identified by late Q2 2021, the area of interest will be refined to corridors along those options and once the preferred option is adopted in Q2 2022, the area of interest will again be refined down.
Q1.13	Can a member of the project team be contacted by the public or their representative to ascertain if a proposed planning application will be affected by the project?
A1.13	Yes, our project liaison officer is available for the full duration of the project to answer any questions the public and interested parties may have in relation to the project. The project team will be able to advise of any potential conflicts between the proposed planning application and this project.
Q1.14	What do I do if I want to object?
A1.14	Formal objections can only be submitted after the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) are published.  In the interim, please feel free to contact the Project Team with your concerns as it may be possible to mitigate them throughout the design process.
Q1.15	Who finally decides to give planning or not?
A1.15	The decision to give planning will be made by An Bord Pleanála after an Oral Hearing.
Q1.16	When will I know the options and the final option chosen and how will I find out how I am affected?
A1.16	We are currently developing options and expect to have a public consultation in relation to these in late Q2 2021. Those with property and lands within the corridors for the options identified will receive a letter at this time to inform them of same.
Q1.17	What type of surveys will be undertaken on my land?
A1.17	Environmental specialists may have to undertake non-invasive site surveys (e.g. site walking for archaeology, habitat/mammal surveys for ecology etc.) on your property as part of the environmental studies. All specialists will be carrying identification and a letter of authorisation of access from Tipperary County Council. If you have you have any concerns about the people requesting to enter your land, please contact the Project Liaison Officer.
Q1.18	What public transportation solutions are you studying?
A1.18	We will consider enhancement, extension, or provision of public transport services or public transport infrastructure. When developing options for assessment there is merit and need to consider a ‘Do-Something Public Transport’ option.
Q1.19	If you provide all the proposed public transport you are studying why do you need to build a new road?
A1.19	A public transport based option on its own, similar to road based options, would be developed in an incremental manner as a means of determining whether public transport in and of itself would resolve the identified transportation issues.
Q1.20	How will my personal data be handled?
A1.20	Our full Privacy Statement with regards to the collection and usage of personal data is available on the project website. Personal data provided to the project team is stored securely and in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. The data will only be used for the purposes of the N24 Cahir to Limerick Junction Project. Data will not be retained for any longer than is necessary.