Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact that we can discuss this issue tonight. A number of weeks ago, I sat in a house in Newtownstewart with Patsy McSorley who had just lost his wife of 50 years. His daughter and granddaughter were also there and in the corner was what I would call a little shrine. There were flowers, a cross and a framed photograph of a bright, smiling woman, a happy-go-lucky person who lived life to the full. She left a huge emptiness, not just in that room but in the hearts of all those who knew her. Unfortunately, while Julia McSorley was one of the latest victims of the A5, she has not been the only one. A number of others died with her on that day. As my colleague has said, nearly 50 people have died on that road since 2006.

Earlier today, the Enough is Enough group gave its presentation. I think everybody in the room was seriously affected by Kate Corrigan's presentation when she spoke of what it meant to be woken up that morning by the PSNI at her door to be told her son of 20 was one of the latest victims of the A5. We could stand here today, especially someone from the north west, and speak about how important the upgrade is to unlock the potential of Donegal, Derry and the north-west region. We could speak about why it is so important for this Government to recommit to what it committed to in the St. Andrews Agreement back in 2006, when it agreed to co-finance this road. All of those arguments have already been made. The most powerful argument is that this road is a killer. It does not discriminate between young or old, rich or poor, North or South, nationalists or unionists. It is simply a killer. Too many families have lost their lives on this road. We are only talking about the most extreme cases here. We also heard that every fourth day, on average, a serious accident is reported to the PSNI on this road. These are not small hits or tips but serious accidents that are reported.

I am glad the Government does not oppose our motion. The House needs to speak with one voice on this matter. We need to speak with one voice brought together by all of the victims who have spoken out and given us their experiences of what this road has done to them. They have told us how this road has destroyed their families and caused so much pain, hurt and anger. It is for us in this House, right across the political spectrum, to say "enough is enough" and that we are as committed as the families are to make sure this road upgrade is delivered. The commitment that was given in the St. Andrews Agreement in 2006 must be one that this Government, or whatever Government is decided in this House in the future, delivers on. The principle of 50% funding is one that was made in 2006 and it is one that will be kept now. The Government needs to say that it will do everything in its power to ensure there is a positive outcome in relation to the determination made by the inquiry that has been in progress in Omagh for some weeks. That is the least we can do. As politicians and as people who listen to the families who have fallen victim, that is the decent thing to do.

We know the history of this road. My colleague spoke about the small number of people who are objecting to the upgrade and how it has been frustrated time and again. We are at a point where a decision will be made by the inquiry and submitted to the relevant Department and a decision will be made by the Department within the next year. It will then be time to build the road. I ask the Government and, in particular, the Minister of State who is speaking on behalf of the Government, to join with me and say "enough is enough". We hear the campaign led by Tyrone GAA who have lost too many of their up-and-coming young stars to this road. They finally said "enough is enough" and formed a group to spearhead a campaign. I ask the Minister of State to join with us and say "enough is enough" and the Government is committed to what was agreed in 2006. The Government must live up to the responsibility of co-financing the road and to do whatever it can, with the incoming Executive when it is restored and the British Government which is a party to the agreement, to make sure the A5 is upgraded. The crucial link roads in Donegal, from Letterkenny to Lifford and the N2, need to be part of the overall project.

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