Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on one year in his position. Today is a great day for me and an incredible way to mark my first year in this House with the announcement of the funding to bring the Narrow Water bridge project to tender. As someone from the area, I have seen that things have not always been so simple in the Cooley Peninsula and on Carlingford Lough. Long gone are the days of gunboats on Carlingford Lough and British army patrols stopping us at Narrow Water going about our business. Today's announcement is a symbol of belief. Finally, someone outside the area has belief in my region. This bridge is more than a piece of infrastructure. It is about bringing the North and the South together, leaving the tragedy, heartache and pain behind and looking towards the future of what this great island can be.

I thank An Taoiseach. He has been dedicated to this project. We have heard him on endless occasions talk about his and Fianna Fáil's commitment to this project going back decades. Finally, we are at the next stage of the project. It brings back opportunity to this entire region, North and South. Omeath has struggled with tragedies, disadvantage and being left behind for being in the Border region. Today is a really good day for the Cooley Peninsula. I urge Senators to visit and see what the place looks like before the Narrow Water bridge, and what it looks like afterwards. It is a good day for County Louth.