James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As a Wexford Deputy representing a county with a significant number of commuters who use the N11-M11 every day to get to and from Dublin, I am all too aware of the difficulties these commuters face. Commuting impacts commuters' mental health, their family life, their social life and their economic well-being. People are stuck in traffic when they should be at home with their families or in work. I welcome the acknowledgment this week that a third lane is badly needed on the N11-M11 roadway to tackle increased traffic congestion, as reported by TII this week. It was a long-awaited report.

The Government is failing Wexford in its job strategy, leaving the county with one of the highest rates of unemployment and forcing people to commute to Dublin for work. The Government is failing in its housing strategy in Dublin, forcing people to leave Dublin to come to counties like Wexford to seek housing, thus adding to the commuting problem. The Government is failing in its transport policy by not having one.

Some 80% of our goods are exported across the Continent of Europe via the UK land bridge. These include perishable goods such as pharmaceuticals, agrifood and livestock. These sectors are vital to our economic well-being. When a hard Brexit happens, that land bridge will be gone. We have to find another way to get our 80% of goods to the Continent, particularly those perishable goods. The only suitable alternative route is through Rosslare Europort, yet the Minister continues to fail to publish the Indecon report and refuses to set out a pathway for Rosslare Europort. Despite all these issues, the Minister is also prepared to stand by while CIE threatens to close the Dublin-Rosslare Europe service south of Gorey.

In the interests of commuters, regional balance relating to areas like Wexford and our economy post Brexit, I ask the Minister to bring forward a proper infrastructural plan.

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