Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Site visits are not everything but they are a big part of the process. Competitiveness and connectivity are also a big part of the location. The Minister has been to Limerick on several occasions recently and she will be welcome to come again and we welcome the announcements made.

What has the Minister done to prioritise the building of the motorway between the mid-west capital, Limerick, and Cork? It is not a priority in the Government’s capital programme but it is badly needed. The main connection between the second largest city, Cork and the third largest, Limerick puts the mid-west region at a severe disadvantage. Has the Minister spoken to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport about the connection between Limerick and the port at Rosslare Harbour, the N24? Why is that not a Government priority? The proceeds from the State’s sale of its shareholding in Aer Lingus were put into the connectivity fund under the remit of the Department of Finance. There have been only two applications to it which have been grant-aided. Why has the Minister’s Department not been pushing the agencies in Limerick and around the country to avail of the €335 million in the connectivity fund, to boost connectivity and help competitiveness of the regions, particularly the mid west, the M20 Cork to Limerick road and the N24 Limerick to Waterford road?

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