Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a major infrastructure project and I have just clarified for the Senator that the public consultation process is an opportunity for her and any other stakeholders, including members of the public, to make submissions and to make their views known. As I have already said, for the record, it offers the public an opportunity to propose further alternative options. That said, I have also stated in my response that there are many significant constraints in the general Galway area, about which Senator Healy Eames would know more than I would.

I have some experience of this process with the building of a similar by-pass in Waterford City a number of years ago. A number of corridor options were considered but many were constrained. One works through the process by fully engaging wit the stakeholders and while Senator Healy Eames is right to represent their views here today, there is a process in place that rightfully and transparently deals with submissions. A report is drawn up at the end of that process and a recommended route ultimately comes out of that. That is as much information as I can give the Senator today and I hope it is of help to her.