Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 Mar 1993

Vol. 428 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Foreign Affairs Matters.

Mr. Ellis

I thank you, Sir, for allowing me to raise this matter and I thank the Minister for coming into the House to reply. The question of Dooard bridge at Rossinver, County Leitrim, has been ongoing for approximately 20 years, since it was closed by means of cratering the road on the Northern side and by placing large boulders on the bridge itself. In recent times numerous attempts have been made by the Minister and his precedessor to have this bridge reopened but it appears that the Northern authorities have not agreed to this. This is a main link road between north Leitrim and west Fermanagh and its closure has caused major social upheaval in the area in the past number of years. Many people from north and south of the Border in this region have inter-married and the closure of this road forces a 26 mile round trip for those with land on both sides of the Border.

In view of the potential of Lough Melvin as a tourist attraction and the enormous amenties available in Kiltyclogher and Garrison, I ask the Minister to do his utmost to persuade the Northern authorities to agree to the reopening of Dooard bridge.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affais (Mr. Spring)

I thank Deputy Ellis for raising the matter this evening. I assure him that his comments have been carefully noted and will be taken fully into account in my consideration of this important issue. As the Deputy may be aware, I received a deputation recently from the SDLP in regard to this bridge.

I am conscious that the situation in Leitrim is particularly difficult due to the closure of all of the cross-border roads in the county. I fully appreciate the frustration felt by the local communities on both sides of the Border arising from the situation at Dooard bridge, and the negative social and economic effects, including those on the development of the potentially important tourism sector, which the closure of the crossing has had in the area. My colleague, Deputy Bree, has raised this matter with me on many occasions.

In view of the importance of this issue, I raised the problem of closed cross-Border roads at the first meeting of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference which I attended on 3 February 1993 and I again discussed the matter with the Secretary of State at yesterday's meeting of the conference in Belfast. I particularly emphasised the disruption to the economic and social life of the community caused by closed roads and stressed the Government's view that road closures should only be maintained where security considerations clearly outweigh the inconvenience to the local community. It has, of course, to be recognised that the continuing campaign of violence serves only to exacerbate problems in this regard and to impede the prospects for progress.

Following these discussions it was agreed that both Governments would keep the situation regarding road closures under close review, taking fully into account the wider economic and social effects, as well as the genuine security considerations involved. In this context, I will continue to press the British authorities to re-examine the situation regarding the closure of the crossing at Dooard bridge. I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to draw the attention of the British authorities to the particular problems experienced by the local communities affected in Counties Leitrim and Fermanagh and to their views on the closure of the crossing which the Deputy has represented this evening.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.30 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 25 March 1993.