Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the delegates for their presentation. For those of us who live in and represent the north west it is frustrating to look at a map showing the motorways going from Dublin to Belfast, Galway, Cork, Limerick and Waterford. There are rail and air connections to most of those locations. However, there are no connections – rail, motorway or air – linking the fourth largest city on the island to Dublin. There is no motorway or direct rail link from Belfast, although there is what I call a "tourist link" between Derry and Belfast. There have been some successes in the INTERREG programmes. The news about the North West Regional Science Park, Fort George and LYIT is welcome and there seems to be good interaction between Magee Campus and LYIT. The delegates' group is cross-party and cross-council and is probably the best forum for representing the voice of those people. What can it do to lead the way in the big picture and remedy the clear failure to develop equality in infrastructure in the north west? What is the vision of the group to lead the charge, bring everybody together and make it happen?

There have been some positive developments in tourism. The Wild Atlantic Way has made an impact. Derry was the city of culture and a number of events there put a good, positive focus on it, including the Giant’s Causeway. What can be done to develop a co-ordinated, cross-Border tourism initiative? What is the vision for leading it?