Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

It is now late 2011 and the Taoiseach has stated that €25 million will be provided for the A5 in 2015 and 2016. I ask him to reconsider that. Following the North-South Ministerial Council meeting, I would have thought there would have been a review of our commitment to the A5. The infrastructural development that has occurred on the island has been of huge benefit to the economy, in terms of the movement of goods, services and people. The completion of the A5, as originally envisaged, would have a transformative impact on the North-South economy and on the island economy as a whole. I ask the Taoiseach to reconsider his decision on this. When we had to bring in a budget with €6 billion worth of cuts last year, including cuts to the capital programme, the then Government still managed to preserve the provision for the A5 upgrade.

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