Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is good clarification. We should go for the third option outlined by Mr. Spratt. It is important to engage, although not for too long, with elected members here and those who work in the airport who understand aviation and the role of the Shannon Group as a catalyst in the mid west in recent decades and in the coming years, as we try to re-emerge from Covid-19 and its economic ravages. That is where we need to be.

There was welcome news a couple of weeks ago. I am from Meelick and I am glad that phrase 1 of the Limerick northern distributor road got the green light from the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Department. I am interested in phase 2 of that. It is a road to nowhere without phase 2. Does Mr. Spratt's Department have any plans to progress phase 2 from Meelick, Parteen, Clonlara and on to Limerick and the motorway from Limerick to Cork, which is seen as essential to the west of Ireland? Does the Department have plans for advancing those projects?