Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join the Chairman and previous speakers in welcoming the joint delegation from chambers of commerce in the North and South. It is entirely appropriate that the group should attend a meeting of this committee to advocate for a worthy and worthwhile project in the north east. It goes without saying that the Narrow Water Bridge project has been a long time in gestation. I have vivid memories of attending meetings in the Park Hotel in Omeath long before the peace process commenced. At the time, a number of people on the southern side of Carlingford Lough were strongly advocating exploring the potential of the project, with a view to progressing a bridge across the lough. The proposal was met with considerable scepticism. People did not see merit in the project when it was first proposed in the 1980s, a period of significant economic difficulty. The peace process has created a powerful dynamic for those pursuing the project.

A bridge across Carlingford Lough would have clear economic benefits. Anyone who is familiar with the geography of the Mourne Mountains and Cooley Peninsula will acknowledge that the area is largely undiscovered by tourism interests and remains undeveloped in many respects. This key infrastructure project would make a major difference. Apart from bridging the Newry River at Narrow Water, it would act as a powerful symbol and send a message that the peace process is working. It would be a sign that the Stormont Executive is willing to flex its muscles and proceed with worthwhile, cross-Border projects where they provide clear and tangible economic benefits for both the North and South.

The benefits of the project would be felt not only on the Cooley Peninsula, in Dundalk and around the general north County Louth region but also in south County Down and further afield, including County Armagh. I have long advocated development of the tourism industry in the three counties in question. Tourism development in the region has lagged somewhat for reasons those present will fully understand. I know a number of the older sages in the Omeath area who used to tell tales of people, mainly from Belfast, travelling to Warrenpoint in the 1940s and 1950s, before crossing to Omeath by ferry. While there was a considerable demand for private transport to Carlingford, the village of Omeath was the tourism Mecca in the Cooley Peninsula at that point, with Carlingford regarded as something of a backwater. I can say this now because Senator Terry Brennan has left the meeting, although I accept that the status and standing of Carlingford has changed considerably in the intervening period. The caravan park at Cranfield on the northern side of Carlingford shows that the gravitational pull of the lough is also strong on the northern side.

As I stated, public meetings on a proposed bridge were held at the Park Hotel and other venues in the 1980s. At that time, the Oireachtas Members in north County Louth were the former Deputies Dermot Ahern and Brendan McGahan and myself. We did our best to progress the project and keep it on the political agenda, and I am pleased it is still on the political agenda. Of all the projects to come onto our radar, it will be of major benefit to north Louth and south Down. Let us get on with the project. Anyone who has any influence with the finance Minister in Stormont should nudge him gently towards accepting the merits of the proposal. A financial package has been put together by the special EU programmes body, Louth County Council and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. The missing link is the Northern Executive, which must also provide funding. I hope the project can be progressed. A delegation met the Taoiseach when he visited Dundalk recently and made a strong case for making direct contact with Mr. Wilson in an effort to move the project forward. Anybody else in the political arena who has influence on the Minister should exercise that influence.

Is there any merit in seeking a meeting with the Minister? Perhaps a representative group could sit down with him to discuss the benefits of the project and identify any perceived hitches that may arise. At this point, I do not envisage any problems as the proposal has been thoroughly examined from a technical, economic and political point of view. Let us hope, therefore, that the project can be progressed. It may not be appropriate to arrange a meeting with Mr. Wilson. Others may be in a better position to decide whether it would be a worthwhile to do so.