Dr. Brian McCann:

In Longford, we partnered with Longford County Council. I acknowledge the presence of the cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Councillor Mick Cahill, and two directors of services from the council, Mr. John Brannigan and Ms Barbara Heslin. We partnered on this issue and the number one issue in our submission was the N4 from the Leitrim border to Mullingar.

As Deputy Troy knows, the route was selected over nine years ago. We have a frozen development corridor. This is not virgin territory. One cannot build so much as a hay shed in that designated corridor. It is extremely difficult to dispose of property. The corridor has been frozen for over nine years. The next step is ready to go, and the area is crying out for it. We are making a case for the whole region, but this is the one key piece of infrastructure, the missing link, from which everybody west on the N5 seeking to come to the east coast, and everybody north of Longford up to the Leitrim border on the N4 seeking to go to the capital, will benefit. We understand the Collooney-Castlebaldwin and Turlough-Westport roads will go ahead in 2018, but this is the one that, if it can be brought forward, will have an immediate benefit to the region.

I am an exporter, and exporters often have overseas visitors. I ask the committee to think of the advantage of being able to collect someone in Dublin Airport who wants to purchase one's goods or services and deliver them all the way down into the midlands by motorway or dual carriageway. It is a massive advantage. As Mr. Corcoran said, in a survey of US foreign direct investors, the key, number one item they mentioned was a highway. Until the past 18 months or two years, during which time I admit things have improved, Longford was the one county in the country without a foreign direct investment visit by IDA Ireland for a large number of years - five years or more. I ask the committee to think of the game-changer this could make for a county such as Longford. The mantra going out was that we are not suitable for foreign direct investment. Why is Abbott expanding in Longford if we are not suitable for foreign direct investment? We are an asset. We come up to Dublin and it is congested, it is very difficult to get accommodation and it is very difficult even to get in certain areas the suitable industrial space. If one travels just an hour down the country, the north midlands and the north west are open, and that is where it lies.

I appreciate the hearing we are getting today. I know the committee can only make recommendations to the Minister but I ask it to give us something to bring back to our members so we can at least say that the committee will make a very strong recommendation on our requests. We need to bring something back to our members.