Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Northern and Western Regional Assembly has made a call on behalf of the whole north-west area and the counties it covers - Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, Cavan and Monaghan. The Leader is from the area and will be very much aware of the deficit in the whole region, going back to when the EU gave it objective 1 status. That was about levelling up to ensure that we got our spend per capitain line with the rest of the country. That is now over 20 years ago and we are still in the same position where we are playing catch up. The report this morning is very welcome and timely, coming just before the budget. I implore the Leader to give a good sense of that to the Government. It is really important. The Leader has been very strong about rail lines along the western seaboard. There is the N17, which is not progressing, the Galway bypass, the N2 and A5, which has been lobbied on for well over 20 years, and the lack of rail line across that whole region. Many counties there have no rail. It is unacceptable. For Donegal, because the N2 and A5 has not progressed, the trans-European transport network, TEN-T, project is sitting with the Department of Transport waiting to move to the next phase. I know it is being assessed but the quicker it moves on the better. I ask the Leader to raise the report with the Government.