John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

Yes. However, problems remain in regard to the lower end of the N4. Travelling from Mullingar to Sligo there are occasional good stretches of road but the section in contention runs from the Curlews in Boyle. The route has already been selected for bypassing Castlebaldwin and Collooney. Traffic volumes on this road are high and there have been several accidents. Work must begin urgently but there is still no commencement date. Motorists who can avail of a motorway for some one third of their journey from Dublin to Sligo experience great difficulty when they reach Carrick-on-Shannon and Boyle, particularly the stretch of road from the Curlews in Boyle to Collooney, before reaching the bypass of Sligo which was long overdue but very much welcomed. It has achieved the objective of establishing Sligo as a gateway city.

I hope the infrastructural deficits evident throughout the Sligo-Leitrim region will be examined. I appeal to the Minister to provide a timescale for the development of this section of the N4. The route has been selected and the resources are there so there is no reason that a timescale cannot be provided. I am disappointed that Members for the Sligo-Leitrim constituency have not exerted their political influence to ensure there is a start date. We are not interested in a date after the election which is intended only to fob us off.

I am equally disappointed with Transport 21 and its reference to the rail link from Claremorris to Collooney. Billions of euro will be spent under that plan, while in excess of €1 billion has already been spent on the Luas and a similar amount on the Dublin Port tunnel. An underground central station is planned for the Phoenix Park. All of those developments are welcome but there is a question mark over the amount of capital expenditure on the east coast.

There are 46 miles between Claremorris and Collooney but the Minister has not indicated any time scale for the completion of the rail link. The State owns the land on which the rail line is situated, so there are no planning difficulties in that regard. There have been no objections to the development of the rail line from anyone but the Government has not given any indication of when or if it will be completed. It has referred to 2014 as the date for the rail line to Claremorris from Ennis to be completed. There is no commitment to a date for the line to be completed from Claremorris to Collooney. There is enormous development potential in the area, which includes the growing villages of Coolaney, Tubbercurry and Charlestown, especially given that up to 1 million passengers are expected to pass through Knock Airport in the near future. The Government's attitude is regrettable in light of the value for money that could be obtained from developing 46 miles of track at an estimated cost of €193 million.

The rail infrastructure body can lay one kilometre of track per week but the Government plan estimates that it will take until 2014 to open the rail line from Ennis to Claremorris. There is no commitment to extend the track from Claremorris to Collooney. If this is an indication of the Government's commitment to addressing the infrastructural deficits in the west of Ireland, it is a poor show. It is astounding when one considers the potential value for money and development opportunities provided by a rail line that would open up the entire Sligo to Limerick area. We have had experience of a good rail connection from Sligo to Dublin, which has opened up enormous potential in that region.

I read an appalling article in The Irish Times last week that suggested that the rail plan should be abandoned and the money spent on the roads. I appeal to the Minister to give a commitment that the line from Claremorris to Sligo will be opened. It is very——

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