Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

Perhaps Deputy Dooley did not hear me correctly. I stated that we remain politically committed to the project and expect work to commence during the lifetime of the 2012-2016 capital programme. That is neither shelving nor mothballing.

However, the commitment of €560 million over the next four or five years is an enormous and difficult commitment to honour given the financial situation we face. This must be discussed at the North-South Ministerial Council. We remain committed to the project but the exact timeframe of the project and the sections of the road which can be commenced during that period must be worked out with the Northern Ireland Executive.

See this speech in context