Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I am raising the issue of the route of the proposed Waterford city bypass. I believe the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, made a statement today on the Viking site at Woodstown, County Waterford, directing the National Roads Authority to examine an alternative route. The people of Waterford are concerned about the time taken to commence work on the bypass and second river crossing as we have been waiting for the past 30 years. For a time, there has been nothing but report after report on the matter and then the Viking site was discovered, which the Minister has rightly decided must be preserved. However, it leaves the choice of the bypass route open.

Will the Minister expedite the matter and ensure the NRA adopts one of the proposed routes at the earliest possible opportunity? The economy of Waterford and the south east is dependent on this bypass. I hope the Minister will use his good offices to ensure a start on the bypass by the end of 2005. Commencement on the project has been promised for the past three years but we have not seen it yet. Patience has been tried to the limit.