Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The issue that has arisen in respect of the Narrow Water bridge is the value-for-money assessment. The proposal did not meet the assessment requirements. We discussed it at the North-South Ministerial Council last week and the Taoiseach and I discussed it with the Northern Ireland First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The Government and the Northern Ireland Executive support the project. We need to get some technical work done relating to how the project can be progressed. Clearly, we have no wish to lose the money that would otherwise have gone into the project. There is a certain timescale involved and the money will probably have to be reallocated. However, the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive continue to support the Narrow Water bridge project and we will get the necessary technical work done and then see how it can be progressed.

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