Mr. Peter Walsh:

There are a number of different criteria that apply to the identification of sections of the network that require an intervention. We could have a high accident rate. We could have a mismatch between the demand on the road and the capacity of that particular road to cater for it safety. We could have a requirement to connect to a region.

The Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge road, say, is one of those where we have relatively low numbers of vehicles on the road. We had a very sensitive area in terms of archaeology through Rathcroghan, which resulted in a circumstance where the only route we could choose was 35 km long off-line. That makes it very expensive and it does not fit other criteria then. If we start applying purely economic matrices or measures to the assessment of that then it may perform very poorly. From a Mayo perspective, however, it is a very important aspect and one of the remaining bits of the N5 that connects to that region.

Different projects will have different reasons for being required but it does not make them invalid. They will go through the planning process and it will be a matter for An Bord Pleanála to determine whether something is proper planning and sustainable development for the State. In that circumstance, successfully-----