Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Cathaoirleach's remembering the tragic victims in Cork 100 years ago. I remind colleagues that today also represents the 41st anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands, a great man. It is important to remember him today, particularly as our brothers and sisters in the North go to vote in a crucial election.

The Limerick Shannon metropolitan area strategy plan was published last week. It is hard to put into words the amount of frustration that people have expressed to me on this issue. The northern distributor road, a key part of Limerick's infrastructure, has been effectively dropped by the Green Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. This is particularly tragic because after a major battle locally, involving people in Moyross aided by my colleague, Deputy Quinlivan, we managed to get the Coonagh to Knockalisheen road almost built; it will be completed in the coming months. That road effectively will now go to nowhere because the northern distributor road will not be built. The northern distributor road is absolutely key to opening up Moyross and encouraging industry into an area that has been neglected for too many years. Once again it has been let down by Government. I am disappointed with Government politicians effectively blaming the Green Party. While a Green Party Minister made the decision, of course, there is collective Cabinet responsibility. This is a Government decision which effectively puts road infrastructure in Limerick on hold.

The rest of the plan contains many good things, including promises relating to rail and bus, but they are very vague and aspirational. For example, there is a call for another feasibility study for a spur to Shannon Airport. The first time that was raised was in 1997. Some 25 years later, we are still looking at feasibility plans. The language in the area plan is the language of let us examine this, let us look at the feasibility of that. It begs the question as to what the Government has been doing for the last two years. We are nearly at the halfway point of this Government. Limerick is effectively on hold. There is talk of transport possibilities but nothing concrete.

A key part of our infrastructure has effectively been denied by the Government. It is not good enough for the people in Limerick and there is considerable frustration related to that. This has added to the ongoing issues with Limerick hospital, which was raised again yesterday. Things are getting worse rather than better and we have had to deal with this for years. As things stand it is very unlikely that we will have a motorway between Limerick and Cork; it is more likely to be a regional dual carriageway. This is another failure in terms of developing the western corridor to ensure we have a proper counterbalance to Dublin. I feel that Limerick has effectively been put on hold by this Government when it comes to key infrastructure projects. It is not good enough and I am calling for an urgent debate on the matter.