Sir, - Three years ago, on December 19th 1994, the Leixlip/ Kilcock M4 bypass was opened by the Taoiseach, John Bruton, in his first function as leader of the Rainbow Government. The National Roads Authority (NRA), under the chairmanship of Mr Liam Connellan and stewardship of Mr Michael Tobin, is the body charged with the disbursement of public moneys used for the design and construction of this road.
To this date, the NRA has failed to provide adequate, unambiguous signage indicating how to approach Leixlip, the country's 16th largest town or city. Despite the town's burgeoning hotel and B&B business and representations made by Leixlip's town commissioners, no tourist information signs were provided on the Dublin approach when the town was bypassed en route from Dublin. In desperation, the town's hoteliers - there are four - erected their own signs. These were promptly removed by South Dublin Co Council and the owners were then levied with storage charges by the council!
The NRA, like the good quango it is, consistently refused to meet with representatives of Leixlip's elected local authority at any time, preferring to deal with anonymous officials with no local links. As I write, there is still no change and confusion still reigns among firsttime visitors to Leixlip; those unfortunate enough to miss the junction have the pleasure of an eight-mile round trip via Maynooth. Let them send their Christmas greetings to Messrs Connellan and Tobin; clearly I and my peers count for nothing in this matter. - Yours, etc.,
From John Colgan
Town Commissioner, The Toll House, Leixlip, Co Kildare.