asked the Minister for Finance when it is proposed to provide customs facilities on the Culloville Road between Carrickmacross, County Monaghan and Crossmaglen, County Down.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cross-Border Road.
11.
The Deputy will be aware that the approval of a frontier road for Customs purposes requires joint action by the authorities on both sides. The conversations with the British authorities on the question of the approval of additional cross-Border roads, to which I referred in reply to a question on 12th March last are still in progress; decisions on the Carrickmacross-Crossmaglen and other routes must await the outcome.
Is the Minister aware that this matter has been going on now for approximately 18 months? Is he further aware that action is being taken on this road on the Northern Ireland side, which would appear to indicate they are prepared to keep the road as an approved road. Can the Minister give me an indication as to what the decision is likely to be in view of the length of time which has elapsed since the matter was first taken into consideration?
As I have said, it requires decision by the authorities on both sides. Discussions have been going on, and, I must confess, for somewhat longer than I had expected. I am not sure when they may conclude, but I think there is not much hope of the road being opened this summer. It will take some time.
Could we hope that the discussions will reach conclusion before the end of September?
I think they should.
We can reasonably assume that they will conclude before then?
Yes.
In the Minister's judgment, does he think it likely that this road will be an approved road, even for an experimental period, at the conclusions of these discussions?
I would not like to give an opinion on any particular road. There are about six roads altogether under discussion by both sides. It is not likely that we will open more than two, or at the most three, for the coming year.
I hope this one will be amongst them.
Possibly.