Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Leader knows that I previously raised the issue of the huge gap in infrastructure linking Dublin with Derry, Donegal, Tyrone, namely, the north-west of our island and the 500,000 people who live there. I asked the Leader to request that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come to the Chamber to debate the issues involved. I will outline them again. They include: to the failure of the Government to invest even one cent in the City of Derry Airport in recent years even though it is used by 150,000 people from Donegal - 40% of the total number of passengers who pass through the facility - each year/ and the failure to give real commitments with regard to funding the A5, which is a vital dual carriageway linking the north west to Dublin. Added to that are the issues raised in this Chamber, namely, the Cork-Limerick road, the gridlock on the M50 and the threat of the loss of Iarnród Éireann routes. These are all really serious issues of concern relating to transport. I have raised issues relating to the north west but I am conscious other colleagues have raised issues of concern as well. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister, who is a former Senator, to come to the House to debate these matters with us.