Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I call on the Leader to arrange a debate on a related topic, namely economic policy in Northern Ireland. We can move away from the reactive issues which we always talk about in regard to Northern Ireland when there is a punishment beating or political impasse. While the symbolism of checkpoints has been removed along the Border, we still have social and economic partition. We must devise a concrete connecting policy between the North and the South which is something we do not have at present. This requires the collective will of people on both sides of the Border.

The Coleraine to Derry railway link is under threat and it looks likely that it will close. People are seriously worried about this possibility as it is both a tourist and economic route. We need to use the spatial strategy to promote a rail link between Derry and Letterkenny. When the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, was last in the House he said he would incorporate the development of this link into his transport strategy. If we showed the will on our side perhaps that would help to maintain the threatened Coleraine to Derry link.