I too welcome the Minister and his colleague together with our two colleagues from the Minister's office in Northern Ireland. As one who lives within a few miles of the Border and who has had a personal interest in the peace process all along I welcome what is coming from it. It was strange to me when I first became involved in national politics that we had some difficulties in having meetings with our counterparts in Northern Ireland. Before that I had been involved in farm organisation and we had worked closely across the Border and had no issues with the Ulster Farmers Union, the Northern Ireland Producers Organisation or the co-operative movement. Monaghan Co-op, for example, is deeply involved across the Border doing 80% of its business in Northern Ireland and 20% in the South. The business and community groups, as was mentioned, had built bridges across the Border. Things were happening but not at political or structural level. This is where the Good Friday and St. Andrews' agreements become so important.
In case I forget, I want to speak on the safety issue raised by Deputy Fergus O'Dowd. I drive up the M1 constantly and watch the number of cars that go by at extraordinary speeds. The cars are not all from Northern Ireland, the UK or other countries; there are also some from Monaghan and Donegal taking their chances. We have to get to grips with the issue of road safety. The issue of penalty points needs to be solved urgently. As a member of the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body for more years than I care to mention - going back to 1993 - I can confirm this is one of the issues we have discussed on a regular basis and a committee was set up specifically to deal with it. We have come a long way but there are still legal difficulties with introducing a structure under which people can be given penalty points North or South of the Border. I drive to Belfast too so I know what happens in the other direction. People from the South do not behave themselves so well there either. It is not, as Deputy O'Dowd said earlier, a matter of placing blame on anyone. However, it is a major issue.
I thank Mr. Geoff Allister for his indepth information on transport. This is one of the most important issues as far as economics is concerned. For example, the M1 from Belfast to Dungannon has been there a long time, but it has never gone any further. From Ballygawley right out to the west nothing has been built in recent times. If we consider the Derry-Dublin route, which links the main city on the island with the fourth largest city, it was a major breakthrough when the then Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, and the former UK Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, agreed that would be a new structure. The thing that worries me in this area, however - this is directed at the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, as well as Mr. Allister - is the urgency of this issue.
We have a unique problem at the Monaghan end whereby we have bypassed three towns - Carrickmacross, Castleblayney and Monaghan - and the plans that were in place and ready to go to CPO for the road from Monaghan town to the Border have been put on hold. This stretch of road is one of the most dangerous on the island. It has caused many deaths in the past and causes major hold-ups at present. We need to see some urgency in replacing it. To my knowledge, all that has been allocated through Monaghan County Council towards the planning of a replacement road is €200,000. In this day and age an amount such as this will allow only the appointment of one position rather than delivering anything. I ask the Minister to comment on this and to advise, from a Southern point of view, what progress is being made in this area.
Deputy Ó Caoláin mentioned the issue of linking the four-lane highway to the new two-plus-one road at Clontibret. There are other things that have to be cleared up there because it could create a lot of problems. In addition, unless there is a dramatic change in circumstance, we must deal with the winding down and closure of Monaghan General Hospital and the transfer of its patients to Cavan. The route those patients will have to take is the road from Monaghan town to Cavan through County Fermanagh. As one who was deeply involved in negotiations over a piece of that road at Rabbit Island, which was eventually restructured, I pay tribute to all who were involved. A tremendous job was done. However, there is still a serious problem in the Wattlebridge area in the Northern Ireland section and, of course, the area between Monaghan town and Smithborough is a disaster. That is something that has taken on a new urgency and, while it is not on the list, I urge that it be dealt with because otherwise more lives will be lost unnecessarily. As others have said, the completion of these jobs within a suitable timeframe is vital to show the peace process is actually working.
I welcome the other proposals regarding the east-west roads in Northern Ireland and, of course, the road from Dublin through to Larne Port. This is for obvious reasons: the ports of Larne and Belfast are of major importance to industries throughout the Border area, including Cavan, Monaghan, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. Industries in all these areas use the ports of Larne and Belfast to transport goods not just to the UK but through the UK to the larger European market. That has become more and more important. I welcome the progress on these issues and the consultation that is taking place.
I could spend the next half hour talking about the issue of railroads, but Deputy McHugh has dealt with it comprehensively. The bones of a rail line that would link with the Belfast-Dublin route are still in place between Monaghan town and Portadown, and I ask that a feasibility study be considered for this area. I also urge that the Minister consider extending the railroad from Dublin to Navan at least as far as Kingscourt. If my Seanad colleague returns from the Seanad in time to speak on this he will go into it in much more detail.
Efforts to speed up traffic in Dublin were mentioned. I advise people to go somewhere other than Dublin to see how that could be done. If one comes into Dublin a number of times a week one knows that although one can get to Dublin reasonably fast thanks to the bypass, when one gets to Dublin city, I assure the delegates if they did not come by car today, it is a different experience.
I also welcome the retention of the Minister's post. It is always a good thing to retain a post at all. The Minister has done a reasonably good job in this area and we wish him well in his continuing role, especially in terms of co-operation with his counterpart in Northern Ireland. As a representative of the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, which has no rail line, I emphasise that the road structures are of extraordinary importance. The Minister mentioned the great event that took place recently when 120 leading executives from 80 American companies came to Belfast. I urge the Minister, as a representative of the Twenty-six Counties, to ensure the Border region - I specifically mention counties Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan in this context - gets its fair share of that inward investment. We certainly need those jobs as much as Belfast, Derry, Enniskillen or anywhere else.
The Ulster Canal is a vital project. In the past, when there were no roads at all in the country, it was not one of my priorities. However, that has changed and there is no reason money cannot now be spent on this. It is important to show that there is a real commitment to that as quickly as possible. While I welcome the statement that it will be open from Belturbet to Clones, we need an indication that the whole canal will be opened in the not too distant future. It is the last link that allows people to travel from the north coast down through the Shannon to the south and would be of great benefit to the Cavan-Monaghan region as well as to Northern Ireland. It is one of the few projects for which I have seen complete cross-party commitment, from the UUP, Sinn Féin and the SDLP in Northern Ireland and from the main parties south of the Border. There is not a single senior politician in any of the groups who is not committed to that project and that is extremely important.
I wish to support an issue already raised by other speakers, including Deputy Ó Caoláin, concerning the road from Castleblayney to Dundalk. That is an extremely important route and while only about five or eight kilometres need to be upgraded, the bridge on the Border is very dangerous. This has been discussed many times. My concern is that it will be like my own crossroads in County Monaghan, Swanscross, which was the scene of dozens of accidents. Unfortunately, it was not until four or five people were killed that a new roundabout was built. We do not need a roundabout at Ballingarry Bridge but it must be restructured. If that road was properly restructured Castleblayney would benefit greatly by being linked to the M1.
I have kept going long enough. Deputy McHugh made the point that there should be direct involvement by both Monaghan County Council and Donegal County Council in drawing up the plans for that major route from Monaghan through Northern Ireland to Donegal. I support that and ask that it be considered. Two such authorities would have a significant role to play in making sure that the proper structures are in place. I have no doubt that the NRA can do a good job but, to speak bluntly, the job that was done on the bypass at Castleblayney begs questions. Ordinary engineers with a background in the area might have a role to play and I support Deputy McHugh on that issue. I thank all who have addressed the meeting today.
