Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

When I challenged the county manager on this issue, he was very quick to state it was being driven by the NRA, that it had nothing to do with him and that he merely takes instruction. I do not know how familiar the Minister is with the project, but very few people of sane mind in the county believe it should go ahead. It is difficult to understand from where the thinking is coming given that hospital beds in Wexford hospital are closed.

The project is to build a motorway to bypass the one already bypassing Wexford town, although there are no hold-ups worth speaking about on the roundabouts, and this is pure nonsense. There was a fanciful notion that some day Rosslare might become a port to rival Rotterdam, but given that the five berths there are not deep enough and that it would cost €200 million to make them a sensible option for large boats I do not see it happening in the near or long-term future. Does the Minister think this would be a complete waste of money? If this is the case, why does the Government not make the sensible decision to abandon it now? The notion that it might be done in 20 years has been mentioned but God knows what route might be taken then. More than likely, at most the existing route would be expanded.

See this speech in context