Mr. Hubert Keaney:

I am chairperson of Sligo County Council and agree with much of what has been been said. For us, there is uncertainty in that we do not know what shape the Border will take. As I lived in Manorhamilton for 30 years, I know what fixed border and customs posts are. We certainly need some help from central government because each day I travel, regardless of whether I travel on the N4 or take another route, I am hit by delays because of poor infrastructure. It is the same if I head towards Enniskillen; I am hit by delays because of the poor condition of the N16 and the fact that there is no bypass around the town. The delays are far greater than any ever caused at the border.

Let me start with how the committee can help us. First, we should go back to 2006. We should be given back the almost €2 billion that was taken out of the fund for the Border, midlands and western region to complete infrastructural projects on the east coast and in the south. If we had that money today, we would be able to solve many of our problems. We need infrastructure to address the lack of investment throughout the north west and Border region during the boom time. We can come, debate and make representations and if any member wishes to come to our area, he or she is welcome to do so. He or she will not need an engineer's report or a PowerPoint presentation to see what is happening there. What the tourism industry has to struggle to overcome to attract visitors to the area will be visible. We have some fantastic businesses that have survived and grown in the past few years, but if they are to be helped by central government and we want them to contribute to the national economy of this great country, we need to be given our fair share. Let us start with giving back the €2 billion that was removed from the fund for the Border, midlands and western region in 2006.