Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's honesty in the reply disappoints the object of my raising this particular issue. We have to emphasise that this is not a regional or local issue. It is a strategic issue in terms of the development of the second city. We talk about access to the port, which it is proposed to move further down the harbour in Ringaskiddy, the opening up of the north side of the city for investment and development and ensuring that the city and the critical infrastructure around it is not fully dependent on the tunnel. I can instance a few cases. For example, we have a massive pharmaceutical base in the lower harbour and the intermediary harbour area. We also have an airport in the south side of the city but most of its hinterland would be from the northern and eastern parts of the country. The dependence on the tunnel, in the event of anything happening, would mean the economic life of the Cork region could come to a standstill for a period of time were the tunnel closed for whatever reason, be it an accident, damage to the tunnel or some other event taking place.

If we had the north ring road linking the south link on the eastern side and moving across the north ridge to Killydonoghue on the M8, all these problems would be alleviated. It would also alleviate the difficulty we will have in the next couple of years in the context of the Dunkettle interchange upgrade. We will be piling more and more traffic into a system that simply cannot take it. Our south ring road is like a parking lot at certain times. If we had the north ring road, it would address all the challenges facing the city in terms of traffic movement and attracting investment and other commercial life and tourism into the city. I urge the Minister to reflect on and convey to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, my deep concerns about the fact that this has fallen off the priority list. The land is there. All we need is the will and the commitment.

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