Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I fully support my Donegal colleague, Senator Flynn. The way she was treated last night was atrocious. I congratulate her for using her power this morning to highlight it. She is absolutely an equal Member of this House.

I want to talk about the A5 route. With the N2, this is part of the Dublin-Derry route. There is an ongoing saga regarding the A5. It is the last route in Ireland of its stature that does not have motorway status. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern announced plans and funding for it in 2007. Sixteen years on, we do not even have planning for the project. There were three more deaths on the route last week. It is an awful tragedy. This was the third occasion on which three people have died in accidents on the route in past 16 months. There have been 47 deaths on it since the general election. This is absolutely the worst road in the country. Given the stop-start nature of Stormont, which has failed politically, last night, I wrote to Rishi Sunak. I copied the message to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Transport. I asked Mr. Sunak to invoke his powers and grant planning permission. He has done that for other political matters relating Northern Ireland. It is within his remit to do that. Enough time has passed and enough lives have been lost. The whole north-west region, including Donegal, Derry and Tyrone, comprises a destination with city status. Some 350,000 people are served by this road. It is time for the political messing to stop. I ask the Deputy Leader to write to the Government and to those who I mentioned to ask them to back this approach and ensure this project starts right away.