Government relations have ‘improved remarkably’ – Ross

Minister for Transport Shane Ross has said relations within the Government have "improved remarkably" since a "well-reported spat" of a few weeks ago.

Mr Ross said on Thursday that Wednesday's Cabinet meeting was "extraordinarily amicable". He himself had "a very pleasant conversation" with Taoiseach Enda Kenny which included a discussion on a possible "informal get-together" between Fine Gael Cabinet members and their Independent Alliance counterparts.

The Minister was speaking in Tipperary after a meeting with a deputation from the county council on the state of the roads, organised by independent TD Mattie McGrath.

Mr Ross said he was on “a tour of education” regarding the country’s rural roads.

Rural roads

“That’s one of the reasons why I’m not making any commitments, because I’m going to go and see a large amount of counties and see what the state of rural roads is.

“This is my first official visit to a county, and it’s been extremely useful, but there will be more.”

He also visited Ardfinnan, where locals have been campaigning for an improved bridge over the river Suir following recent damage, and Tipperary town where there has been a long-running campaign for a bypass.