Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy for co-ordinating this debate on the impact of the TEN-T decisions taken some years ago by the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. It represented a ministerial smash and grab on the economic future of the west of Ireland in particular. We are now two years into the Brexit process and not only does the UK Government not have a plan but neither does the Minister or the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, particularly to address the fact that two thirds of Irish exporters use the UK as a landbridge to reach continental Europe. We know there will be uncertainty and a blockage but we do not know what the Department is doing about it.

The remarks made this evening by the Minister, Deputy Ross, did not reflect any ambition or thinking outside the box on how to deal with this, which is what we need to see. We need to see the Atlantic economic corridor, referred to by the Minister of State here, fleshed out in practice. Ireland West Airport Knock needs to play a comprehensive and driving role. The Government needs to engage with the strategic development zone planned around it to ensure there are proper facilities and industrial bases to drive that. The western rail corridor offers a unique opportunity to bring rail connectivity to the Atlantic economic corridor. The ambition and perseverance of those promoting the western rail corridor is in direct contradiction to the lack of interest shown in the project by the Minister, Deputy Ross. That economic and the rail corridor in particular have the capacity to deal with our climate change challenges by taking traffic off our roads, away from towns and villages and putting it on rail, as most European countries do. A proper, ambitious application under TEN-T would give us the chance to do that.

Earlier, the Minister, Deputy Ross, told the House he did not believe the infrastructure in the west was as neglected as we say. I invite him again to join me on the N26 between Swinford and Ballina, a so-called national primary road, which has been forgotten about by Fine Gael. He could join me on the R312 between Belmullet and Castlebar and, in particular, join me in the back of an ambulance on that journey, which many people must undertake. It is incredibly stressful and difficult. It is damaging the economic potential of an area the size of County Louth. The Minister needs to get with the programme and to understand and share the ambition of groups along the west coast, such as Claremorris Chamber of Commerce, which has been highlighting the opportunity under TEN-T for many years. The Minister and the Government need to show us and the west of Ireland that it has an ambition for us and that its words about an Atlantic economic corridor and Project Ireland 2040 are more than words but that there is certainty behind them. An application under TEN-T would show that. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary actions. That is the quote the House has heard all evening from the Commissioner, Violeta Bulc. It needs ambition at Government level and a belief in the west of Ireland that is appallingly lacking in the Government.

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