Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is welcome. There are many exciting plans in Galway at the moment. I spoke about them earlier during the Commencement Matters debate. They cover both road transport projects and public transport projects, including cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. The Galway city ring road application is with An Bord Pleanála, and I hope there will be a decision on this in the coming months. I have been a strong advocate of this important project. The Moycullen bypass is due to commence soon. Improvements to the N59 are ongoing. I always say about roads that once they are built, that is it. One can use them and one does not have to build them every year. That they are built once is important.

There are many projects related to the urban regeneration and development fund. There are also many related to the rural regeneration and development fund, including a passing bay at the railway line at Oranmore, which the county council has been pushing. The passing bay is important in promoting commuter rail. The bus corridor on the old Dublin road is also important. There is a range of projects under the urban regeneration and development fund to promote cycling, including one to develop the old railway viaducts over the Corrib, as mentioned by Senator O'Reilly. I believe one can support and advocate for roads and public transport projects at the same time. I have done so and will continue to do so.

There is a great tradition, particularly in the countryside, of landowners giving land free of charge for small safety and improvement schemes, be it for a junction, to deal with a bad bend or for another purpose. I acknowledge that and thank landowners who provide land. I hope this tradition can be continued. As the Minister knows, however, there are barriers to connectivity. There are lands that are not available, be they in the country or the city. A footpath may end suddenly in a town because a property juts out onto the road. In my village, Moycullen, money is available but there is no land for a bus pull-in and a bus stop. In other areas, similar issues arise where footpaths could be built. That is a challenge for many of the projects. I hope we can work together to solve some of the problems.