Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I raise two of my favourite topics, County Louth's Cooley Peninsula and the connecting of the two sides of Carlingford Lough. The Narrow Water Bridge, to me, as a local, is a project that has been talked about for so long. It is a symbol of the future and of what can be. It is aspirational, but with the shared island fund, that aspiration has become a possibility. One might say it is infrastructure with various merits, but it is so much more than infrastructure. It is about moving forward through peace and reconciliation, going back to the time when the Vikings travelled up Carlingford Lough and settled in Newry and Carlingford. There is so much positivity around the project. We have been discussing it for about 20 years. There have been delays upon delays and now is the time for action. I hope we can get a positive answer on the matter from the Minister for Transport.It is shovel-ready. Louth County Council has done incredible work over recent years on this. We need action. It is supported and spoken about by An Taoiseach at every opportunity. Nichola Mallon, Minister for Infrastructure in the North, is also an incredible sponsor of the project. It is important for reasons of morale, tourism and sustainable and active living. I could freewheel from the Cooley Mountains to the Mournes. What better way to live one's life than being able to cross that bridge? One could throw a stone or have a conversation. It is important to start connecting these two.