Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, that is what he said and he repeated it again and again so I do not need to remind Members of that.

The substantive point I want to raise today concerns the north west - Derry, Donegal and Tyrone. I am proud to say that in a number of weeks' time, a radiotherapy unit will open in Derry that will service 500,000 people in the region. It is an example of cross-Border co-operation endorsed by the entire community - Unionist and nationalist and is funded by both Governments. It is an example of where we need to move forward. The problem is that this region of 500,000 people has no motorway, rail or air connection to our capital city. It is totally disconnected. If you get out the map of Ireland out, you will see motorways and rail and air links to Belfast, and rightly so. You will also see such links to Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. There is a complete blank spot. Could the Leader raise this issue with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross? When we talk about Brexit and a strategy to deal with its implications, we need a commitment from our Government on co-funding the A5 project, which will come back on track in 2017, and in respect of the City of Derry Airport. The airport deals with 340,000 passengers every year, of whom 40% or roughly 150,000 are from Donegal, yet not one cent from our Government is going into that airport. We need the Minister, a former Member of this House, to come to the House and listen to the views of 500,000 Irish citizens in that region who are disconnected from their capital city and from equality in terms of the access that would be expected for citizens across this island.