Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can the Minister elaborate on the likely timeline for the completion of that planning process? Could the Minister outline his understanding of where the Northern Ireland Administration is regarding its funding for this project? Before the last election and the planning problems that have arisen there was a commitment from both Governments to co-fund this project. There have been planning issues since than and a change in the funding commitment from the Irish Government, moving from a co-funding commitment to what the Minister just outlined - that is, €25 million in 2015 and again in 2016. However, the Northern Ireland Government indicated that it would continue with the project and do two particular stretches of it. There was time-specific funding from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Executive flowing from the funding commitment given in the St. Andrews Agreement. Planning issues have delayed the spending of that money this year.

Will the Minister update us on the position regarding that funding at the Northern Ireland level? Is it his understanding that the commitment remains, or is there an agreement in place to ensure the money that has been specifically allocated will remain available?

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