Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here. I know he is delivering a response on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, but I lament his absence. I know he cannot be here every day, but I cannot understate the damage he has been doing to infrastructure plans that have already been announced and budgeted for. An example is the upgrade to the N17, which is one of the most dangerous national primary routes in the country.

As the Minister of State will know, this scheme has been in the design work stage since 2018. In August that year, the project appraisal plan was approved by the strategic research and analysis division of the Minister's Department.

It was adjudged to be compliant with the public spending code and common appraisal framework. This led to TII's approval to progress to planning and design of the scheme in accordance with its project management guidelines. The emerging preferred corridor for the scheme was released in January of this year, followed by a two month public consultation process.

As the Minister of State will be aware, the scheme forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network, TEN-T, comprehensive network from an EU perspective and is a core component of the Atlantic economic corridor. The upgrade will deliver on national policy, including key strategic objectives and deliverables in Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the national development plan, NDP. The project aligns with the national investment framework for transport in Ireland and the road safety strategy 2021-2030.

God knows, we are awash with cash at this moment in time. The Minister recently attended Sligo County Council where he met the CEO and management team, along with some of the elected members. It was outlined, in a letter that was addressed to Kevin Kelly, the chief executive of Mayo County Council, from his counterpart in Sligo, that the Minister said there would be no funding available for this scheme for "many years". This beggars belief at a time when there is a war in Europe, a housing crisis all over the country, commitments to our international colleagues for help and all of the rest. We have an eastern conurbation that is set to explode.

The disruption caused by traffic and the congestion in this part of the country where I stand now will cost the nation €3 billion per year by 2030. This is because of the green ideology of a very nice man, namely, the Minister, Deputy Ryan. As a great lady in Sligo, Rosie Kelly, used to say, "The country is full of lovely fellas. It's leaders we need".

Sligo is where Project Ireland 2040 was announced. We are now permitting one Minister in government to make a decision. Some three or four weeks ago, on Questions on Policy or Legislation when I was waiting for a turn to come up for this Topical Issue, I asked whether the Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Parties in government support the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Green Party's unilateral sabotage of these already announced and budgeted for national policies, in effect, suspending them indefinitely and undermining the momentum and potential for the western seaboard to perform to its potential, as well as offering a real counterbalance to the eastern conurbation and congestion.

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