Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. There is a small problem here. The northern ring road is mentioned on just one line of the national planning framework. The plan talks about the development of a motorway linking Cork and Limerick, which we would all welcome. The fact of the matter is that it is planned to build a motorway that will run into 19th century roads. We have no proper orbital route on the north side of the city. Such a route is needed for many logical reasons, most importantly, the greater development not just of the north side of Cork city but of the region as a whole. The region depends completely on the tunnel as the only way of moving from north to south. As I have said, all of the main infrastructure - the deep water ports and the airport - is in the southern part of the region. If anything were to happen to the tunnel, it could have catastrophic consequences for the economic development and the continued growth of the area. All of the Minister's eggs are in one basket. If we are to be brave and visionary, we need to accept that a north ring road needs to be developed to link the Dublin Road to the Poulavone area of Ballincollig. This is an essential infrastructural requirement for the greater good of the region and for the more balanced development of Cork city. The Minister knows the city well. Anyone who visits it will see quite clearly that the north side is unable to attract industry because of a lack of access. It needs to be opened up. I implore the Minister, in the interests of local and regional balance and for the sake of ensuring we do not continue to depend on the tunnel, to provide that the north ring road is included in any assessment of infrastructural development requirements in Cork in short and medium terms. There is a one-line reference to this project in the national development plan as it stands. It is mentioned in the context of the development of the M20 into Cork city.

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