Following on from Deputy Rabbitte's question about archaeological finds, it is my understanding that the Minister, on behalf of the Government, retains policy in terms of road development and also the allocation of money to the National Roads Authority.
When I was Opposition spokesman on arts and heritage, I learned from archaeologists that they do not mind as long as they have the opportunity to excavate and record what is found. The strip analysis is done a long time before road development takes place. Once a line becomes clear, it is perfectly feasible for them to determine early on if there is a strong likelihood of important archaeological finds being discovered.
Professor Séamus Caulfield informed me that there are 100 years' worth of excavations at Rath Cruachan, County Roscommon. It seems to be sacrilegious to drive a motorway through the Hill of Tara. One day while driving to Dublin I heard a National Roads Authority spokesman on the radio state adamantly that there would be no change, irrespective of the feelings or sensitivities not just of the people living in the area but elsewhere in the country. The Hill of Tara means something to everybody in Ireland. Does Government policy allow for this to be taken into account by the National Roads Authority?
With regard to the list of projects the Taoiseach read, I do not understand why when the Government allocated moneys under the national development plan for major infrastructure in 2002, 2003 and 2004, no funding was allocated for any major road structure west of the Shannon. There was some funding for a stretch of motorway on the way to Dundalk, which is included in the BMW region, but that is a long way removed from beyond Termonbarry. When I was travelling up here at 2.30 a.m. this morning, I drove on the new stretch of road, opened yesterday by the Minister, Deputy Cullen, from Strokestown to Termonbarry, about eight kilometres in distance, through virgin bog, which is a good development.
Why is the NRA, which was set up by Government, unable to get its act together in having projects ready in terms of the use of expenditure allocated to particular regions? When one contacts the NRA, one is told that such projects do not have priority and their completion is ten, 12 or 15 years down the line, which makes a mockery of balanced regional economic development. Following Deputy Rabbitte's comment about the NRA, this is something the Government could usefully examine.