Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am also very happy to support the Sinn Féin motion on road infrastructure and the A5, given the clear need that exists for this project linking the North to the South as well as other projects like it, which support regional growth in areas and counties that have been historically underrepresented as regards levels of investment and job creation. Any Minister who holds back road infrastructure is holding back jobs and regions from attaining regional balance, which is unfair. Many areas are being held back, including my constituency of Laois-Offaly.

I recently raised a similar issue with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, after it confirmed to me that there will be no progress in the foreseeable future on delivering the long-awaited N80 Mountmellick bypass, which was first proposed as far back as 1988. We have also seen unacceptable delays to the Tullamore-Kilbeggan route, which has been constantly raised with Deputies in the context of progressing our regions. We need this critical infrastructure.

I hope the Minister of State will have some influence in delivering these projects for us because we just cannot continue to be held back. We need clarity on what is happening. There are legitimate concerns that plans for bypasses and many other roads are being shelved simply because they conflict with objectives relating to the Government's climate action agenda. Very clearly, the Green Party continues to have influence in every area of Government policy. This is yet again another sad of example of that.

The motion is about far more than the A5 and addressing its dire safety record. It is about fairness for all the regions and some measure of economic equality as regards investment. That is why I fully support the motion.

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