Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend the A5 Enough is Enough campaign. I thank my colleague, Deputy Doherty, for ensuring we had the opportunity to hear Niall McKenna, Brendan Hurl, Plunkett Nugent, Peter Canavan and, above all, Kate Corrigan today. One of my colleagues said earlier that Kate's was one of the most moving contributions they had ever heard in the audiovisual room. Kate heartbreaking words as she spoke about her beloved son Nathan were profound and unforgettable. Nathan, with his friends Peter Finnegan and Peter McNamee, are no longer with us because of the failure to upgrade the A5. It is 17 years and almost 50 deaths since the St. Andrews Agreement promised the delivery of the A5 upgrade. That is aside from the life-changing injuries suffered by people after the road accidents that have occurred. I welcome that the Government is supporting this motion but that support must be translated into providing 50% of the money to fund the A5 in its entirety, as promised.

I commend Tyrone GAA on its dedication to this campaign; it has made a difference. We heard that it has been 6,000 days and that millions have been spent but still there is no upgrade. How much are the lives of almost 50 people worth? How much is one life worth? Unfortunately, Kate Corrigan and her family know the answer to that. Today must be the day we assure Kate and all the other bereaved families that no other family will have to endure the suffering she is living with every day. The collective voice of this House tonight must lead to action.

I am not going to list every road in Mayo but I live in Belmullet in the north of the county, which has known multiple tragedies and loss from road traffic accidents. We know what it is like to be at the end of the line for investment in roads. Anyone who has travelled the R312 from Belmullet to Castlebar will bear testament to that, as will anybody who travels the N5 through Roscommon. They will know that empty promises are just that, empty. This is aside from what was said today by my colleague, Deputy Mac Lochlainn, in the audiovisual room, when he described the planning process as absolutely dysfunctional.

I again commend all those involved in the A5 Enough is Enough campaign. We cannot now say that we did not know. The human cost of the lack of progress has been laid before us. I will not speak about the economic or social cost because the human cost outlined to us earlier has to be the driver for this road upgrade starting as quickly as possible. The human cost of the lack of progress has been laid before us, as I said, and for that, I thank all of the guests who are with us tonight. No stone must be left unturned to deliver the upgrade of the A5 in its entirety.

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