James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have one more point. A highly important part of the programme for Government is coming up shortly. I am sure part of the 2020 budget was included in it. I refer to the national development plan. Throughout the course of Deputy Hildegarde Naughton's ministerial career in this portfolio, I am sure it will probably be the largest policy document that will be impacted by the current Government. In relation to my own constituency, as the Chairman has said, in terms of the N20, that is a significant concern to people in Cork East. A lot of my family are from Mallow and that area at the north-western side of my constituency. It is crucial to that town that this motorway is built and there is proper access given to local residents onto and off that motorway when the time comes for construction.

There is one other project as well, on which I had extensive discussions with the Taoiseach,the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, already. I flag it with the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, as she has individual responsibility for the road network. I refer to the issues on the N25 around Castlemartyr. Castlemartyr is at the heart of the east Cork area. It is famous for the hotel and for other amenities and tourist destinations in close proximity to the area. I would be hopeful that could be included in the national development plan, NDP, which is coming up in the next number of weeks. There are 24,000 vehicles a day going up and down the main street of Castlemartyr and there is a desperate need to get funding to solve that for reasons of air pollution and connectivity and to reduce the 20-minute wait people are experiencing coming in and out of the village. It is bad for people in Youghal because it impacts on them in getting home from the city in the evening which is not fair.