Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

The Senator is right to express his disappointment and that of the people of Donegal in respect of the A5. I thank him for doing so. It is a project to which the Government is committed. It has invested. The decision of the High Court in Belfast is deeply disappointing. I hope that representatives of the Department for Infrastructure in the North and our Department of Transport can meet soon to see how we can work together to ensure the project is expedited. The Senator is right that it is a critical road corridor.

The Senator is also correct that the model in Donegal is working well. I met Mary Coughlan, the chair of the board, recently. The Senator has repeatedly raised the gaps with me, and I thank him for doing so. I am fully committed to delivering a more sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system for the people of Donegal in future iterations.

I look forward to visiting the Senator in Donegal following his invitation. I will bring back his feedback. It is important, as we focus on the next action plan, that we deliver for the people of Ardara, Glenties and Portnoo in particular, as the Senator mentioned, and I thank him for doing so. I look forward to working with him to see if we can make the plan better. It is working and I thank the Senator for that praise.