Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As Members have stated, I confirm that the Government is not opposing this motion. I thank the Members opposite for their contributions and sincerity on this issue. Many of us here have met with some of the local people who have been campaigning for many years to see the A5 improved. The number of those killed or injured on the existing road is a sobering statistic and the rationale for an improved A5 has been very well set out now over many years. I acknowledge all of the group from the Enough is Enough campaign who are here, and also people who related their personal experiences earlier today. I know how difficult it has been for many of their communities over a significant period. Collectively, we must make progress on this issue, so I appreciate their contributions earlier today, and also the Members opposite for putting this motion forward.

Like other contributors, I am conscious that the project is subject to a statutory process. However, that does not mean we cannot discuss the issues or facts and outline our positions.

As others have stated, the A5 is an important transport corridor on the island of Ireland, which provides much-needed access to the north-west region as a whole. Its importance is recognised in the national planning framework. National strategic outcome 2, enhanced regional accessibility, specifically calls for improved access to the north west, specifying the A5 as one of the routes to be upgraded. The importance of the A5 upgrade has long been recognised by the Irish Government. That is why the policy support, as restated in the national planning framework, also takes the form of financial commitments made by this and previous Governments. These financial commitments have formed the cornerstone of North-South and British-Irish agreements in recent years, including the Fresh Start agreement of 2015 and the New Decade, New Approach agreement in 2020. As stated in those agreements, the Government previously committed a total £75 million toward the A5 and that commitment still stands. It should be noted that this contribution is in addition to the £22 million already given by the Government between 2009 and 2012 towards early planning and design of the project.

At this stage, we all recognise we do not actually have an approved project. Therefore, the finer details of the exact scope of the final project is yet to be determined in some respects. I am aware that, as others have stated, the costs associated with the project have risen significantly and are now reported to be approximately £1.6 billion. The overall funding package for this project is, presumably, the subject of ongoing discussion between the relevant Northern authorities and the UK Government and will, no doubt, reflect commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach agreement and wider discussions. The Government is committed to investing in our shared island and we look forward to seeing a finalised project with definitive timelines and costs. The Department of Transport and the Department for Infrastructure engage extensively on a range of common issues. The upgrade of the A5 is one of the issues on which there will be continued engagement in the coming period.

As recognised in the motion, the Government is investing in the north west in a number of different ways. The A5, while vital, is not the only significant road project being funded by the Government in the region. Donegal County Council has developed a significant programme of strategic road improvement projects in recent years. This programme has benefited from Connecting Europe Facility, CEF, funding from the European Commission with co-funding provided by the Department of Transport. The programme will see improvements around Ballybofey to Letterkenny to Manorcunningham and, importantly, Manorcunningham to Lifford, which links in directly to the A5. I expect to see these projects progress to planning by the end of the year, which would be welcome and a significant step forward for all the communities involved.

In Monaghan, I was delighted to see the council's success in this year's CEF funding announcement with €2.3 million being allocated by the Commission towards the N2 Clontibret to the Border project. Like the Donegal projects, this project is being match-funded by the Department and the upgrades planned for the N2 will directly link into the upgraded A5 near Aughnacloy. Further south, the N2 Ardee to Castleblayney project is also being funded by the Government and will see a 32 km upgraded route serving the north west. It ultimately will form part of a much improved transport spine all the way through counties Louth, Monaghan, Tyrone, Derry and Donegal, a true gateway to the north west, delivering improved access and a much safer motoring environment for all.

The Government's commitment to enhancing access to the north west is clear. An ambitious range of projects are at differing stages of development, North and South, and will transform the region for the better in the years ahead.

That commitment is not only to roads improvements, important as they are. In public transport, funding for new and improved regional bus services under Connecting Ireland is continuing with improvements planned for Counties Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal this year, building on the services that were rolled out last year. The all-island strategic rail review will be published for environmental consultation this summer, before being presented for Government approval later in the year. It will also include significant proposals for better connectivity in the north west.

On active travel, there are a number of great examples of North-South co-operation and joint funding on a range of projects, including the Ulster Canal Greenway, the Sligo to Enniskillen greenway, the Carlingford greenway and the north west greenway network.

These projects are a testament to the close co-operation and extensive engagement between relevant Departments I mentioned earlier in relation to the A5 and demonstrate how both jurisdictions can come together to fund projects of a shared interest. All these investments speak to the importance the Government places in our shared island. As stated in the national development plan, NDP, the Government wants to build a more connected, prosperous and sustainable island for all the communities and traditions that share the island. The NDP is clear that the A5 project is a strategic investment priority for a more connected island and notes that the Government will work with the Northern Irish Executive to pursue opportunities in public investment, planning and delivery. We all agree on the importance of the A5 project and we can all agree on the importance of ensuring much better access to the north-west region.

I thank the campaigners who took the time to travel to Dublin today to set out their concerns and the concerns of their communities about the current state of the A5. Members of Tyrone GAA are also here. I was happy to meet them with some of my colleagues in recent months. The statistics are important but, terrible as they are, they only tell us the facts. The stories we heard from many earlier today told us about the real impact those facts have on families and communities. As I stated, the Government stands by the commitments it has made to the project thus far, building on the financial contributions already made a decade or more ago. The rationale to upgrade the road has been well made and is well known. I look forward to the conclusion of the statutory process, I hope by the end of the year, to provide a basis for further engagement and progress to take this project forward. I appreciate Sinn Féin tabling the motion this evening.

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