Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree that the money should be spent. Obviously this Government does not have £500 million to complete the project. I have heard Sinn Féin complaining about this Government and the previous one, saying the money is there for the project. However, when it had the chance in Northern Ireland, being part of the Government and unable to run from the issue as it usually does and saying it is the fault of the DUP or the Unionists, Sinn Féin signed off on the reallocation of this money for the A5. As Senator White stated, rightly, counties Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Sligo are involved. I drive that road twice or maybe three or four times a week. It takes me three hours and 15 minutes from the port tunnel. I would love if it took me two hours and 15 minutes but I expect to be travelling for that time for many years, whether I am in Seanad Éireann or otherwise.

We must be aware there is a party in government in Northern Ireland that is also in opposition here - with a different story. Last week its members spoke about the pensioners' telephone allowance and issued a postcard campaign. As often happens in "Dragons' Den", there is a big flaw in its project. It has not called for the pensioners across the Border to have a telephone allowance. The Administration of which it is part refused to sanction this in Northern Ireland. The pensioner in Castlederg in County Tyrone is different from the the pensioner in Castlefin in County Donegal, according to Sinn Féin. This is another part of the party's hypocrisy in Northern Ireland to which we must point.

Will the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport come to the Chamber to talk specifically about the A5 road and its future? We want the facts and a timeline, The chambers of commerce and business people in Donegal were told by both this and the previous Governments that this road would be completed. The people who are preventing this are not in this Government; they are in government in Northern Ireland.