Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Recently, I was very honoured to be appointed recently as the Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on public expenditure and infrastructure. It is on this theme I will speak. When I was first elected to Wexford County Council in 2019, one of my first events was the official opening of the extension of the M11 motorway between Gorey and Enniscorthy. Six years on, we are being told by the officials in TII that we are looking at approximately another six years before works might start on the final stage of that motorway from the village of Oilgate to Rosslare Europort.Over the past number of years, there has been a significant expansion of the Europort, which has resulted in vastly higher numbers of trucks and passengers coming through the port and making their way through Wexford.

I call on the Minister for Transport to discuss in this Chamber how we balance the need for key infrastructure delivery on our motorways with our climate commitments. I saw the issues with the ring road in Galway, where An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the ring road but the High Court overturned it on the basis that, among other issues, the active travel measures for cycling and walking did not fully balance with our climate commitments. In Wexford, we are being told there is a need for something similar to take place. We need a debate in this Chamber with the Minister for Transport on this issue.