Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am unsure whether the Minister is aware of it, but the road he is referring to cannot be built within the coming five to seven years, even with the best will in the world. The road covers 16.5 km at a colossal price of €590 million, in addition to the €40 million already spent.

The proposed road project has now frozen two thirds of the 18 ha of residential zoned land bought at the height of the Celtic tiger. Two thirds of the 18 hectares of land purchased by Galway City Council is now frozen in a city with a major housing crisis. All of this is being done for a road that will lead to increased emissions rates and is not in compliance with Government policy to transition to low carbon.

I appeal to the Minister to show vision for Galway city and to lead the way in sustainable transport. Even if the road was the solution, it cannot be built in the near future. We need to lift 96,000 vehicles off the road in addition to the congestion at Parkmore. Over 6,000 people are employed there and approximately the same number of cars emerge from the industrial estate at peak times every day. This is directly as a result of bad planning.

See this speech in context