Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Vice Chairman. I welcome the powerful presentation, including the written submission, along with the contributions that have been made. The witnesses very succinctly and comprehensively put forward a very strong case for this piece of infrastructure. Mr. Neely used the phrase "the deficit in infrastructure" and Mr. Kelpie spoke about the unrealised potential and the new era of opportunity.

In the Border context, we also have to consider that a new era of challenges faces us due to political decisions made outside of our jurisdiction. It was never more necessary for us, in particular those of us living in the province of Ulster and along the Border, to get our infrastructure up to standard. We will face major challenges and will have no potential to meet them unless we have modern infrastructure. Connectivity is obviously key to any region.

Some years ago, the same councils, at cathaoirleach and chief executive level, made very good presentations to this committee. At one of the first meetings of the committee when the Dáil returned earlier in the year, I proposed to the Chairman that we invite the group to come before the committee to discuss this key piece of infrastructure, and I am very glad that the Chairman facilitated that request.

Mr. O'Sullivan, our chief executive in Monaghan, spoke about the frustration that the cathaoirleach of Monaghan County Council, Mr. O'Hanlon, I and other public representatives have endured over the past number of years in that a very small amount of money is required to finalise the preferred route. Subsequent to bringing the representatives of the councils before the previous committee, representatives of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Roads Authority came before the committee. We want to see the larger project proceed as rapidly as possible, but Clontibret to the Border is a key enabling piece of infrastructure.

That Monaghan County Council and the local population do not know what the preferred route will be is unfair. A small amount of money is required to tie down the specific corridor. I wholly endorse the remarks of Mr. O'Sullivan, the chief executive of the council, in that respect. Mr. O'Hanlon has spoken at length about the project at local level. I appeal to TII and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to allocate the required funding. Our colleague, Senator Robbie Gallagher, has also raised this matter in the Seanad and has the full support of all political opinion in County Monaghan.

Mr. Kelpie spoke about advances in the development of higher education through the institutes of technology in Letterkenny and Sligo, which serves part of the area, and the higher institutes and university in Derry. We know from visits made by the previous committee to Derry, Letterkenny and the general area that there has been a great era of co-operation between North and South. Other colleagues have heard me say on numerous occasions, in particular in the context of Brexit and the challenges we face, that as a country we have underestimated the great growth in commerce and business on a North-South and South-North basis.

Business, commerce and people move seamlessly today, and it is to be hoped they will continue to do so in this the future. We need to capitalise on the opportunities available to us. We need to deal with the deficits in our infrastructure which were highlighted in the presentation and the contributions of witnesses. I wholly endorse every sentiment that has been expressed by the witnesses. As a committee, we will continue to endorse very strongly the requests of the cathaoirligh of the different councils and their chief executives to try to get this much needed project progressed.