Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of the things I am most concerned about is TEN-T funding at European level. As the Minister knows, the Government has not submitted a proposal for reconnecting the west of Ireland through rail. I know the Minister has made some positive soundings and they have been welcomed in the west, but we can only describe this as sheer neglect. When we take out the map of rail infrastructure in Ireland, it is clear we need to connect the west, as I said, from Galway through Mayo, Sligo and Donegal, and up to Derry. Unfortunately, the failure was in the North with the British Government and with our own Governments historically. This is an opportunity to put right something that is wrong. This is about equality of access and opportunities. There are very exciting things happening in the west of Ireland, for example, at Atlantic Technological University, and some brilliant businesses and people with vision in the west, but we need the Government to meet us halfway.

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