The Rathevan/Rathnamanagh junction was described by cllr Catherine Fitzgerald at the recent meeting of councillors from the Portlaoise Municipal District as “a really, really dangerous junction.”

She said people driving out of the Rathnamanagh Road area and driving towards Rathevan taking the bend “have to drive across onto the wrong side of the road to make the turn with people flying in the other way especially at the schools.”

She wanted to know whether the council had made any progress on acquiring funds to remedy the problem?

Replying the senior executive at the council’s roads department Paul Mcloughlin said that further to a previous motion on the same matter the council “had prepared” an application for the Department of Transport to fund footpath and safety works at the location.

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “I’ll keep bringing this up. I really think it’s important to address this. It is a really dangerous area. The speed of the cars that are coming in from Rathevan and meeting the cars coming from the Rathnamanagh Road are on the wrong side of the road. They have to be on the wrong side of the road to get around the junction and the cement island that’s there.

“I think this is my fourth time to bring this up. Whatever can be done must be done because it’s very dangerous especially at school times. The school buses can’t get around the junction either unless they’re on the wrong side of the road. It will have to be addressed.”

“It’s absolutely crazy in that area. It’s very dangerous. I hope something can be done about it, sooner rather than later,” said cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley.