Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is not going to cost anything. For many years, Ministers from all parties and none, have always said that we must be conscious of the markets, the European Central Bank, the systemic importance of the other. What about the systemic importance of the people? It is time for once that they came first.

Today in the AV room there will be a presentation at lunch time by a group of people from the north west called the N4 Action Group. The road from Collooney to Castlebaldwin is described by an eminent coroner as the most dangerous stretch of road in the country. It has claimed no fewer than 30 lives. Various Governments had scheduled the works to proceed and this dangerous stretch of road to be upgraded but, regrettably, the NRA has recently suspended the upgrade due to financial constraints. However, curiously, work on the stretch of road between Westport and Castlebar which is nowhere near as dangerous in terms of fatalities has not been suspended. We all know who lives at either end of that particular road. If proximity to the Taoiseach and a Minister is the only criteria by which we determine what roads get done it is a sad day. They are not my words but that of a coroner that this stretch of road is the most dangerous in the country. I ask the Leader to personally involve himself in the debate and to impress upon the Minister that as part of the much celebrated, long-awaited NewERA investment, this particular stretch of road would be given priority as a shovel-ready project to try to save lives rather than expedite political support as we have seen on the Castlebar to Westport stretch of road. I invite everybody to come to the AV room today between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to hear the presentation for themselves.