Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that today, Transport Infrastructure Ireland formally moved ahead to appoint design and planning consultants for the M20 from Cork to Limerick. It is a major step forward.It is an €8 million contract for the design and planning of the M20 and it will be brought to An Bord Pleanála. It is a four-year contract. We will then proceed to move to tender to appoint builders to build the M20.

A number of things are required. The safety of the existing N20 leaves a lot to be desired. The commuting time between Cork and Limerick is between an hour and a half and two hours but we need to bring it down to 45 minutes. It is about balanced regional development. I spoke last week about having a debate on aviation policy. We are a small country. We must have interconnection. It is not just about the regions but about Ireland Inc. The Limerick to Cork motorway is a vital piece of that infrastructure.

I will put it in context. We want the Ryder Cup to come to Adare Manor in 2026. We should be aiming to have the M20 built by that date. It is an ambitious target but is nevertheless achievable. If we do not set targets we will never get to build projects slightly ahead of time. It is very achievable. Would it not be great if our friends in Cork, Limerick and Galway could come to Adare via the M20 and see what our region has to offer? When people look at Ireland from abroad and are looking at whether the Ryder Cup should be here or in the UK, they would say the infrastructure is in place and that Adare Manor is a golf course of world renown. Padraig Haddington said it is the finest golf course in Europe. The M20 is a vital key ingredient in that.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for allowing me to raise the issue. It is a positive news story. It feeds into the story of us being a small island and that of interconnection. When people are looking at Ireland, I want them to look at Ireland as a whole. I worry about us being completely regionalised because it means we do not get the synergies we should get. It would be fine if we were an enormous country but we are not. One can drive from one side of the 32 counties to another in a day. There are very few countries where one can do that. We need to think globally. A key element, if one is looking in from the outside, is the two largest cities outside Dublin are not linked by motorway. One has to ask why. It is now being remedied and it is a fantastic measure. It is a good day for Limerick and Cork and Ireland.