Councillors clash as Meath backs call to reinstate Leinster Orbital Route
A proposal to ask the Government to reinstate the Leinster Orbital Route as a national priority has been passed after it was described as “complete nonsense” during a heated debate at a meeting of Meath County Council.
The motion, submitted by Fine Gael councillor John Duffy at the council’s March meeting, called on the local authority to write to the Minister for Transport seeking the reinstatement of the route.
In its response, the council noted that reintroducing the route would not align with current national transport strategies.
“The reintroduction of the route would not be in line with current strategies and may not be compatible with NIFTY and climate action and public transport goals,” the council said.
“The route was removed from the Greater Dublin Area strategy, published in 2021, as the new policy aimed to reduce car journeys and prioritise the provision use of public transport alternatives.”
The Leinster Orbital Route, which had been under consideration for more than 20 years, would have run from Drogheda to the Naas/Newbridge area, with intermediate links to Navan, Trim, Enfield and other towns. It was planned as a wider circular route around Dublin city to take pressure off the M50.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Duffy said traffic congestion was becoming a significant economic issue for the country.
He said the projected cost of congestion to the economy could reach €2bn per year by 2040, up from an estimated €439m annually at present, warning that rising transport costs could damage Ireland’s “competitiveness”.
The Leinster Orbital Route was first proposed by the National Roads Authority in the early 2000s, with a feasibility study commissioned in 2007 which, according to Cllr Duffy, indicated the need for such a route.
He argued that the road could significantly reduce pressure on the M50 and improve journey times between towns across the region, while also protecting local and regional roads from heavy traffic.
“Apart from dealing with traffic congestion, The Leinster Outer Orbital Route would provide the County with an Economic corridor attracting significant Foreign Direct investment,” Cllr Duffy said.
“This route is not just a necessity for County Meath; it is a must-have piece of infrastructure for the entire Country.”
However, the proposal drew opposition from some councillors.
Social Democrats councillor Ronan Moore said he was “dead set” against the plan and questioned where funding for such a major project would come from, while also raising concerns about its potential impact on climate targets.
“I agree that we have to do something about congestion but building a motorway is not the answer,” he said.
Aontú’s Dave Boyne also opposed the proposal, describing it as “complete nonsense”.
“We can’t be so Dublin-centric all the time,” he said.
However, Fine Gael’s Joe Fox supported the motion, saying it was important to consider long-term infrastructure needs and “where the country will be in 30 years”.
The motion was ultimately carried after 23 of the council’s 40 members voted in favour. The council will now write to the Minister for Transport seeking that the Leinster Orbital Route be reinstated as a Government priority.