Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a question on a particular issue, to which I hope the Minister can respond. In the 17 years since I graduated from the University of Limerick, UL, the campus has grown exponentially but it no longer has the space to develop further. There is not adequate land to do so, nor is there sufficient road access from both sides. The campus straddles two counties, encompassing a part in Limerick city and a large portion that is now in County Clare. In fact, the majority of the campus has been developed on the Clare side of the river. This has been great, with huge co-operation between the two local authorities.

Last month, the Government approved phase 1 of the Limerick northern distributor road from Coonagh to Knockalisheen. This has been dubbed an information highway that will ultimately allow road connectivity between the Limerick Institute of Technology and UL campuses. UL management will tell anyone who will listen that it is totally inhibited from growing, expanding and developing at this time because of a lack of land to develop and a lack of road infrastructure on the Clare side of the campus. There are two actions required to address this, namely, the development of a road axis and the establishment of a strategic development zone on the Clare side. Has the Minister been made aware of these demands and, if so, how is his Department engaging with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the local authorities in advancing them?

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