Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the response. There is a certain element of frustration in relation to the non-publication of the reports. I wonder if the Minister has an actual date for publication or whether he can provide a timeframe within which we can expect publication to occur. On the tendering process, the ordinary man or woman in the street will be of the view that if one is undertaking a major infrastructure project such as the one under discussion, one would not send out a tender document looking for people to price the construction of it until one was sure one had planning permission. That is how one would approach a shopping centre project, for example. This is because, with the passage of time, material prices may go up or down and one cannot be sure one is getting value for money. With respect, the Minister is a sensible individual and the sensible thing to do here is withdraw the tender process until we see what the road ahead looks like. At the moment, we cannot say how long that road will be or how long we will be in abeyance on both sides of the Border from a legal perspective.