James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support the point made by Senator Paul Coghlan. I have said a few times in this House that the criminal organisations we are talking about are largely run by the Provisional IRA. Whatever difficulties they pose for small businesses, the threats, intimidation and tactics they use to control and subjugate their own communities are quite abhorrent. There does not seem to be a massive amount of will on the part of the police to tackle them. I do not know whether it is down to resources. It seems that this artificial peace process is being protected at all costs.

I also wish to raise the issue of the N20 motorway between Cork and Limerick. I wished to raise the matter under the Commencement debate today. It relates to connectivity between Ireland's second and third largest cities. It is a major barrier to investment in County Limerick in particular but also in the south, south-west and mid-west regions. If we do not have that kind of road connectivity between two of the country's major cities, it is quite inhibiting. My Commencement matter was ruled out of order because a similar matter had apparently been raised a couple of weeks ago so I amended my Commencement matter in such a way as to make it different. I have been in contact with a civil engineer of considerable experience based in Austria who has proposed a different public private partnership model from the one used by the National Roads Authority and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. This model is an enhanced public private partnership model that could go some way towards solving the issue of connectivity between Cork and Limerick. I use the road quite often. There are always tailbacks between Mallow, Buttevant and Charleville and there are some terribly dangerous accident blackspots in Rockhill, Anahid Cross and O'Rourke's Cross. This project has been put on the long finger for far too long and is something County Limerick really needs. Will the Cathaoirleach consider a Commencement matter I will resubmit? I hope it will be taken because it is the only opportunity I will get to hear from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport about this very important project.