Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very disappointed with the Minister's approach. This is shocking news for the region. I am disappointed with the attitude to this road. It is a key objective of Clare County Council and of the local authorities in the region and has been for years. Would this be a case where the Minister is interfering, on a personal level, because he thinks Limerick should develop in a certain way? I look at Dublin and I see the Luas, heavy rail, light rail, roads and major investment. Why can Dublin have both yet the Minister is saying the mid-west region cannot have both? There has to be equity. This is a key piece of infrastructure not just for County Clare but for the whole region. It will open up UL and access to Shannon Airport and get things moving. I absolutely agree that rail should be looked at and invested in, but why can we not do both? Why can we not have this major investment in the mid-west just like we see in places like Dublin?