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

All too often, systems that are in place fail our people. The planning system in the North of Ireland has profoundly failed the people of the north west - Donegal, Derry, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Sligo, Cavan and Monaghan. There is an overwhelming desire to have equality of access and infrastructure for our people with the rest of the island. When we look at the map we can see, rightly so, motorways and train links connecting communities across the island. As the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, knows, there is a huge deficit in our region. The system utterly failed us. It allowed a small minority of voices to hold back, prevent and block what was for the overwhelming good of all of our people. That is a system that is not fit for purpose.

Sometimes when systems fail, it takes the powerful voices of ordinary people, who never wanted to be in that position, to make the change. On the night of the launch of Enough is Enough, there were some powerful speeches. One of them that was played back to us earlier on was from Peter Canavan, the great Gaelic footballer from Tyrone. Peter talked about a memory that never left him. He is from that area. A beloved member of staff in the local school was knocked down, and they saw her lying on the side of the road. That never left him. Earlier tonight, we had Kate Corrigan. Kate should not have to come here and tell her story of the devastation her family has experienced because of the loss of her son. I said to her earlier that sometimes the victim who tells his or her story - somebody who has been utterly failed - is far more powerful than all the MPs, TDs and MLAs that we could put there. When people who have been failed speak out, they speak to the decency of most people and they shame us that the system that is in place has failed them. That has to stop and we have to make sure now that the A5 project proceeds.

I am pleased that the Government supports this motion, because it means that the commitment that was made all those years ago for a 50:50 funding for this road is now back on the table again. That is what this motion means tonight. That is an important message when we get these planning issues finally resolved. It is thanks to the communities who rose up in Tyrone, who are backed by all the communities in the counties around them 100%.

I also want to talk about the projects in Donegal; the TEN-T project and the road and route improvement project, because they face delays too. The Ballybofey to Stranorlar bypass has been delayed for years. The Letterkenny relief road has also been delayed for years. We have a situation where there are logjams, in particular in Letterkenny, but also in Ballybofey and Stranorlar, because of the failure to deliver road projects. The systems in place have failed our people but there is finally momentum there too. This TEN-T project is being well led by the national road design office. It wants to connect Letterkenny by means of a dual carriageway through Manorcunningham into Lifford. It is all about making sure that we have the full benefit of the A5 when it happens for the people of Donegal, with the TEN-T improvement project, and also of course for Monaghan, Meath, Louth and Cavan in terms of the N2 and all the related roads connecting them.

Our people deserve equality of access, and the systems have failed them North and South, but there is real momentum now. There are really capable people driving the project in Donegal. Deputy Doherty and I can speak with real authority about that. They are very capable people and they have got a great plan. They have submitted the business plan to the Government and we need the Government to get behind it. That is what this motion also says tonight.

My final comment is that our people are united in Donegal, Tyrone, Derry, Fermanagh, Sligo, Cavan and Monaghan. We are united with one voice to say that we want the same access, the same citizenship and the same respect as everybody else in every community on this island.

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