Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this very important matter. We do not know what will happen with Brexit and neither does the Minister of State. We need to be ready and ensure that our ports, including Rosslare, are up to scratch. The customs process must also be ready in order that we can still trade with the UK if it still wishes to trade with us. Likewise, the roads infrastructure leading to our ports needs to be upgraded. I know one road where articulated lorries pass me daily on the way to Castletownbere. The road going from Kenmare to Lauragh is in a desperate state. Going back a number of years, my father got funding for a part of it but the Cork side back to Castletownbere is only fit for two donkeys and cars to pass each other. That is the truth. It is not fair on the lorry drivers trying to negotiate the roads with loads of fish.

I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Boxer Moran, who visited us in Kerry this time last year. There is a slip on the road to Fenit and following his visit, the Minister of State allocated €176,116 just to deal with the slip and ensure the road stays open. We thank him very much for that. Liebherr uses the port at Fenit around the clock and if that company is to continue trading with Britain, that port must be improved. All of Kerry depends on Liebherr for employment and if anything happened so it could not export through the port or a delay was caused, it could mean many people would be out of work. The entire economy of Kerry would fall asunder if Liebherr did not have the facility available in order to trade with the UK if it goes outside the European market. It is a consideration that must be taken into account.

The roads leading to our ports, such as the road to Fenit, must be upgraded for the massive volumes of traffic using it every day and night. It is how people operate. We welcome the money we got from the slip but the roads must be further upgraded to facilitate the vehicles of today. There is much work to be done and I hope the Minister of State is listening to us. It is serious for the bit of employment we have in Kerry. We are trying to hold on to the employment we have because we do not seem to be able to attract new employment to the county.

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