Mr. Fred Barry:

I was asked about meetings with our counterparts in Northern Ireland. We meet irregularly rather than regularly, but fairly frequently.

We do not have an automatic arrangement with our Northern Ireland colleagues to meet three or four times a year but we meet one another regularly enough. We have common issues to discuss. We are working with the same suppliers, using the same materials. The European Union is issuing new directives and technical standards and we have much in common in our reactions and dealing with them.

We review where we are on our development programmes, both in terms of the work for which we have funding and what we will be building in the near future and on co-ordination of cross-Border routes. Everybody present is very aware that many routes cross over the Border and need to be developed on both sides in a consistent manner. These are just some of the topics we talk about and sometimes there will be very specific issues such as the specific agenda items dealing with the A5 scheme and our role in it.

A number of questions were raised on the cross-Border links in County Donegal, including the N14 Letterkenny to Strabane and the N15 Stranorlar to Strabanee routes. We have done the preliminary design work on the routes but the work is not going any further for the same reasons I gave earlier. The traffic is heavy. The return on investment is very strong. Even taken in isolation these schemes have strong economic returns well in excess of the cost of the routes. The fact that they will link into the A5 adds to the benefits they provide. We are keen to do the work, however, these routes are in the same limbo as most of the other routes. We have approval from An Bord Pleanála for the work on our side of the river crossing, with the design for the new bridge approved and the linkage arrangements are ready to go with the A5 at Strabane. We will tie in with the construction of the A5, when that construction programme is put in place.

I was also asked about the N4 and the N5. We are submitting the plans for the route between Westport and Turlough along the N5 to An Bord Pleanála. Our next main initiative following planning permission is to get this route constructed. My colleague, Mr. Michael Nolan, will comment on the planning work on other parts of the N5.