Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his commitment to this project and I welcome the fact he has said the initial URDF support to Waterford as well as other successful bid proposals is approved in principle and is subject to a finalised agreement between the Department and Waterford City and County Council. I acknowledge what he said about it being a starting point but I need to reiterate that it is very important to state it is extremely unlikely that the project will get over the line without State funding. A total of €13 million is required in 2019 to start the process and a commitment of €90 million is needed over the next three to four years. Much of the infrastructure development involved in the project would have had to come in future anyway. What this project is doing is accelerating this hugely important infrastructure and increasing connectivity between the north and the south of the city.

Sustainable transport infrastructure is the essence of this project and development of this site can and will act as a catalyst for the city and county of Waterford and the entire south east. The employment opportunities, housing opportunities and health opportunities cannot be underestimated. The north quays development will act as a catalyst for all these things because it will lead to population growth and to Waterford and the south east acting as a release valve for the overcrowding in Dublin.

I reiterate that what is needed in the project to drive it forward at this stage is certainty, commitment and clarity. As the project goes to planning in the next couple of weeks, Waterford City and County Council and the developers need clarity on funding and a timeframe for the funding because this is such an important opportunity for the people of Waterford city and county and we have to make sure it happens.

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