Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the overall objectives and benefits of the scheme, I want to put on the record of the House that a full business case has been carried out for the Moycullen scheme, which shows a benefit to cost ratio of 2.2 to 2.6. Between Galway city and the west of Moycullen, the existing N59 primarily serves as a commuter route, while further west it is more accurately described as a rural-tourist route. It forms the main street through the village of Moycullen, and traffic projections for the opening year of the project predict a traffic flow of some 11,000 to 13,000, which is very significant. Having visited Moycullen and discussed this with Deputy Kyne and the NRA, I do not believe anyone can argue about the merits of this project. We would love to be able to go ahead with the main bypass but we just cannot afford to do so. However, this will result in a major improvement for people trying to get to and from Connemara, and, in addition, for the people of Moycullen, who will be able to walk around the town and village in a way they cannot at present.

See this speech in context