Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Doherty for raising this issue. He is right to say that this is not just about improving infrastructure or opening up the economic potential of the all-island economy in the north west. It is also about road safety and saving lives. That is a stark statistic the Deputy put on the record, that since the upgrade was first announced in 2007, 47 people have died. That most recent tragedy was absolutely awful and our deepest sympathies go to the family and community concerned.

I reiterate the support of the Irish Government for this project, which has been long delayed and has been in gestation for a long number of years. It relates to the upgrade of the A5 from Aughnacloy to the outskirts of Derry. We all acknowledge this project is well overdue. It also involves opening up the north west in a more fundamental way, connecting Derry and Letterkenny to other parts of Ireland. We have already touched on the issue of road safety. Of course, it is a project governed by the planning process in Northern Ireland. My understanding is there have been very significant delays, legal challenges and unavoidable delays. I understand that stage 3 of the public inquiry is due to commence next Monday on 15 May. It is to be hoped that represents a significant milestone and that this project is moving towards receiving approval over the period ahead.

In respect of the issue of funding, we acknowledge that the cost of delivering this important piece of infrastructure, along with all other items of infrastructure, has increased significantly with the passage of time. The funding arrangements in respect of the A5 have been governed by the 2014 Stormont House Agreement and the implementation plan, A Fresh Start, and are contained in the New Decade, New Approach document of 2020. Under this agreement, the Government has committed to provide funding of £75 million towards the cost of the A5 upgrade scheme once the statutory planning process in Northern Ireland has been concluded. I think it is fair to say the timeframe for the delivery of this road remains uncertain. However, provision has been made in the Department of Transport budget here in the current year of £25 million in the event that the scheme is approved and funding is actually needed. As I said a moment ago, I acknowledge costs have changed very significantly in recent years.

There is a willingness on the part of the Irish Government to re-examine this issue to see what more we can do to help bring the project to fruition. The Taoiseach echoed those sentiments yesterday. However, we do need partners we can negotiate with and have a discussion with in the form of the British Government but also the Northern Ireland Executive. Once we have a project that has gone through all of the statutory processes and we know the scope and likely cost of the project, the Irish Government will not be found wanting and will engage in a spirit of co-operation, recognising the strategic importance of this road. Our commitment to the all-island economy and to all-island infrastructure has been underlined by the shared island project, which has been backed up with €1 billion of hard capital that we are prepared to make available. We have made a substantial start on making capital available between now and 2030 across a range of different areas.

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