Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This one of the most crucial pieces of infrastructure in the State, as the Minister has said, and I do not believe one could find another developed European country where one could say there is no motorway between the second and third cities. It is a crucial piece of infrastructure. It is about the region as a whole offering a counterbalance, as the Minister has identified, and the very clear need for it and the very clear objective for it.

There is an element of the Government speaking from both sides of its mouth. I have listened to Deputies and Ministers in the Government who have made comments within the past 24 hours that this project could be in doubt. Last year it was the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, and yesterday it was Deputy Leddin saying it was still to be decided and certainly was open to question, while the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan stated that while these projects are not a definite "No", they might not be completed. It seems to me that the Green Party does not want the M20. I am sure the Minister will agree that a failure to commit to a Cork-Limerick motorway is not good enough. We have had too many false dawns when it comes to this project. The Minister is a senior Minister in this Government and is a Cork Deputy. Many times at Leaders' Questions, questions are asked that are vague and aimless and go around the houses. Mine was a very straight question, namely, whether the Government is going to build a motorway between Cork and Limerick. Is the Government going to do that?

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