Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 November 2015
13. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on the A5 road; and on his recent engagement with his Northern Ireland counterparts in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39238/15]
View answerImplementation of the A5 upgrade project is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland authorities. The quashing by the High Court in 2013 of the Minister for Regional Development's approval for the construction of two sections of the road has resulted in significant delay. Since the High Court decision, the Northern Ireland authorities have been working on the additional evaluations needed in relation to the project. The Department for Regional Development has completed public consultation exercises on four reports intended to address impacts on all areas with Environmental designations, including Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites, together with proposed mitigation measures. Work on the new draft Statutory Orders and new Environmental Statement is complete and, when published, will be subject to public consultation which may lead to a further Public Inquiry.
As set out in "Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-2021", the Government remains supportive of the project. The timeframe for the project is dependent on planning issues which are currently being addressed by the Northern authorities. Once the planning, timing and costs related to the project are settled, consideration will be given to the funding implications.
The North South Ministerial Council Transport meeting scheduled for November was deferred and will be re-arranged for a suitable future date.
