Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is important infrastructure and, as the Minister said, the cost it would incur would be approximately €150 million. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, recently announced €2 billion in additional capital spending. Would the Minister put in some representation for us in Cavan-Monaghan because we are fed up being left behind when it comes to roads, a very basic piece of transport network? We do not have railway or the broadband we would like to have. We depend solely on the road infrastructure in our area. We have wonderful indigenous business and small and medium enterprises in that area. People rely on their own resources to establish businesses and provide employment. The only way we can encourage and harness that is by having the infrastructure we need. I urge the Minister to do anything he can to bring further investment into Cavan-Monaghan, particularly with this east-west corridor that is so badly needed.

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