David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government committed to a new national spatial strategy to deliver Project Ireland 2040 and the urban regeneration and development fund. Waterford City Council has submitted an application for funding to facilitate the North Quays development. I know the ask is for significant State funding of €105 million. This is to fund the access road into the development, a new pedestrian bridge and moving the train station on to the new North Quays as a new platform. The Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, along with Deputy Butler and I, had a high-level meeting with the developers. The difficulty is that all of these ducks must be lined up for this project to go ahead. My understanding is that the council hoped that the entire envelope of money - €105 million - would be delivered through the urban regeneration and development fund. It now seems that the part relating to moving the train station may need to be funded from the Department or from a different source, which complicates and potentially slows down the process. I asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government recently when we would get certainty with regard to the funding in terms of timescales and the next round of funding. Can he give a commitment that all three elements of this in terms of infrastructural ask, including moving the train station, are supported by the Government and the funding will be delivered?

See this speech in context