Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The north west suffers from historically poor transport connectivity and this continues to impact on innovation, the creation of good jobs, a just transition and cost burdens on families and businesses. There is currently no motorway, no direct rail line or air route from Dublin to Derry, the fourth largest city on the island. As we know the New Decade, New Approach Agreement commits to an air connectivity review, which includes the Dublin to Derry route. Some 40% of the passengers who use Derry Airport are from County Donegal. It has connections to London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as a number of other locations in Europe and services a population of 500,000. Reopening the Dublin to Derry air route would create enormous economic and social opportunities for the north west and particularly for counties Donegal and Derry. We need to make sure that we lift the block at the moment on what is a modest budget by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for public spending on a public good that we all agree will have an economic and social benefit for the north west and the island as a whole.

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