Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

We know the money has been allocated for the N5. I take on board what the Minister of State said about engaging with the local authority. When the TII conversation came before the councillors, it was a matter of taking all or none of the safety measures. As a result of the lack of engagement on the ground, none of the measures was taken on board. However, the roads engineer in Roscommon said at the time that if we were to try to look at a ring road or a float road in Castlerea we would be looking at an eight-to-ten year project. That was two years ago and nothing has happened since, as the Minister of State has outlined. That is very disappointing to hear. The right time to do this, and the most cost-effective time to do it, was 20 years ago. The second right time to do this is now. We cannot wait for this to be a more expensive project in a few years' time. Every plan has produced and has suggested this. Seeking NRA funding for the process of development of this scheme was suggested in the 2013 plan. I, as a layperson, contacted the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, in December 2023 about this project. I made a proposal to him and produced maps. I forwarded that work to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, in August of this year. I have not got a response on that yet. With all of the positive schemes that are out there, I cannot see why there cannot be a more joined-up approach to this. We are participants, as I said, in the town centre first scheme. That would be the perfect time to highlight that this is a growing need and it is a necessity at this stage. If the Minister had been here, I was also going to ask if age-friendly housing could be included in the discussion, because I think that would open up the town as well. I will follow up with the Minister and his Department. I thank the Minister of State for coming in today.