Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I second the request of my colleague, Senator Boylan, for a change to the Order of Business.

I find the decision to abandon the northern distributor road in Limerick absolutely staggering. This is an essential part of infrastructure for Limerick city and the surrounding suburbs. It would tackle a number of key issues in regard to traffic congestion and access to the National Technological Park and the Mackey Roundabout. My party, Sinn Féin, and my colleague Deputy Quinlivan campaigned successfully to get the Coonagh to Knockalisheen road built. It was supposed to be part of the northern distributor road, but it has been abandoned. The Limerick and Shannon metropolitan area transport plan has no mention of it whatsoever. I predicted this earlier this year. I take no joy in saying so.We need to be clear. Colleagues on the Opposition benches need to take ownership of this decision. It is a Government decision to abandon the northern distributor road. It sits with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, but as collective Cabinet responsibility, this Government has effectively put the city of Limerick on hold, for God knows how many years. We have already been waiting more than ten years for this road to be built. The most ironic part of this is that the whole point of completing the northern distributor road and of hopefully connecting a motorway to Cork which also seems to be abandoned, was to act as a counterweight or a counterbalance for the west coast against the economic juggernaut of Dublin. The Green Party and this Government have put it on hold so the people of Limerick face nothing more than years more of queueing, traffic, congestion and cars being stuck on the motorway because they cannot access the Mackey Roundabout. Everyone in Limerick knows this is essential. I have heard people from all parties bar the Green Party call for this to happen. It is not going to happen. The Tánaiste said the door was not closed on the northern distributor road. The fact of the matter is that this Government firmly shut that door yesterday regarding an essential piece of infrastructure for Limerick. It is staggering and I call for a debate on the issue.