Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I wish to acknowledge the preparation of the officials in TII and the Department of Transport because they provided important information. The questions I raised were answered and I am grateful for that. It is important that the public start to believe this can happen because given all of the delays and false dawns regarding the A5, people have stopped believing in the project. It is important to send out a positive signal, and I thank the Minister of State for doing that today.

I thank the officials and, most important, the dedicated team in Donegal County Council which has worked hard on this for a long time. It is good to hear that a business case for submission under gate 1 of the public spending code will be made in quarter 1, which is just around the corner in 2023. This information is in the public domain, but it is good to hear in the Dáil that the public inquiry into the reopening of the A5 will happen in January 2023. I thank the Minister of State for providing that information.

I said I would mention tourism because it is the lifeblood of my county and requires connectivity. The Irish Hotels Federation, IFH, has a lobbying day today in Buswells Hotel and will raise issues around the criteria for energy cost supports, insurance and the 9% VAT rate. It is an area close to the Minister of State's heart and any support he can give to the lobby session today would be welcome.

I met Aisling Arnold, of Arnolds Hotel, this morning. Dunfanaghy has a small population, yet this one hotel employs 100 people. That gives us an idea of the significance and importance of tourism to many small towns and villages in our county. Aisling was very keen to point out that the business supports available during Covid kept that small independent businesses open. However, a number of challenges are coming down the track. Arnolds Hotel is celebrating 100 years in business this year and will hold celebrations in January. Having such a legacy of tourism in the county is important and it is important that we hold onto it. Anything the Minister of State can do on energy cost criteria supports, VAT rate, insurance and road connectivity in order to keep small independent businesses alive would be welcome.

See this speech in context