Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will take just one supplementary in order to facilitate other members. I welcome the fact that the Minister has committed to visiting the Border region during the summer months to see at first hand the interdependence of the road network in the North and the South and the huge challenges that businesses and commerce in general in the Border region face due to the adverse impact that Brexit will have. I emphasise that our local economy in the Cavan-Monaghan and south Ulster area is very heavily dependent on the agrifood sector, the construction products sector and the engineering sector. By definition those sectors require good infrastructure to transport their products to ports and airports. They use heavy goods vehicles. If vehicles are delayed on the roads as a result of inadequate infrastructure, there will be a cost to the business of the primary producer. The challenge is for local businesses to remain competitive. We have to try to assist those companies to remain as competitive as possible through the upgrading of infrastructure, and trying to reduce those transport costs as much as possible. That is within the competence of the Government. For historical reasons, the region has not had the investment required. It is now facing the particular challenge of Brexit. Investment must be prioritised.

See this speech in context