Dr. Alasdair McDonnell:

I thank both witnesses for their useful presentation. I have always supported the concept of the Narrow Water Bridge and I was bitterly disappointed in 2014 when the concept did not quite meet the financial requirements. What indications do the witnesses have that the necessary finance will ever appear again? There was much emotional and practical support behind the project at the time, which pushed it on even though there was some resistance to it. What hope do we have that the money could be forthcoming at a later date?

Mr. Hannaway mentioned five options. Two of them are close to Warrenpoint, but what are the other three options? Leading on from that, is there a combined option between some sort of a Narrow Water bridge and Newry bypass option in some shape? In other words, will the bridge be strong enough to take some of the port traffic coming out of Warrenpoint and to put it over on to the Omeath side? How far upstream could the bridge be moved before it is out of County Louth? Is it 1 km or 2 km?

I fully support the concept but I am echoing some of the criticism that has been thrown at me at times about it. Where would the bridge lead to on the southern side? Would there be a run-off road? How would one travel from Warrenpoint to Omeath? Would it be a question of going around the Cooley Peninsula or back up into Newry on the southern side of the lough? There are a number of questions there, probably too many. The concept is very good and I fully support it. However, I am just worried, in the same way as the Vice Chairman outlined, about what we can do. To some extent what prompted my question on at what point does the bridge move out of Louth is based on the fact that it would then become a totally Northern operation. If the bridge were between Down and Armagh it is a northern operation rather than a Louth operation. Perhaps the witnesses could respond to some of those questions.