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

I thank the Minister for being here to discuss some of the issues on which we are working. For the past number of months, since I was appointed to this committee, I have been working with him on a number of key issues. I will be parochial for a moment and deal with some of those pertaining to my own constituency. I concur with some of the points made by my colleague Deputy Sherlock regarding the Leap card situation in Mallow. Indeed, one of the very first things that brought me to Leinster House as a member of Comhairle na nÓg was a meeting with him and Senator Buttimer, when he was in the Dáil, to lobby for Leap cards to be introduced outside of Dublin. We were successful in that but we were given commitments by the then Minister for Transport, that is, the previous Taoiseach and now Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, that the Department would expand services for rural towns that are serviced by rail in County Cork. I reiterate that that has to be sorted out. We had conversations with the NTA, which has come back saying it is prohibitive because of cost. That is unacceptable because it provides those same services to people living in the greater Dublin area who can use their Leap cards and that is not afforded to constituents in my area. My maternal family are from Mallow. This is an issue I am hoping to resolve and it is important to me that it be looked into. Perhaps the Minister would have a conversation with the NTA in that regard.

Regarding the national development plan, there are two very exceptional projects I want to see addressed. I recently attended a breakfast meeting with the Cobh & Harbour Chamber, with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to talk about the significant issues facing that town and the community there. One issue that is of concern to Cobh residents, local businesses and the chamber for Cork Harbour and the Cobh area is the access road on and off of Cobh island. I would like some focus to be put on that issue. It is quite tricky in the sense that a regional road must be redesignated as a national road.

From experience of previously highlighting this with officials who have been into this committee, their responses have been fairly confusing. From my conversations with the local authority, I understand it is trying its best to resolve that.

Most importantly, the decision on the finalisation of the national development plan is imminent. I am adamant that I get answers from the Minister on the issue of the N25 bypass at Castlemartyr and Killeagh. I know Castlemartyr has received money for a feasibility study, but the issues in Killeagh have been raised with us repeatedly and we need to get that onto the national development plan. The Minister might have something to say on that and I can come back in afterwards.