Senator Jimmy Harte says the ‘predicted response’ from Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail to the stimulus package shows that any good news in the country will never be welcomed by these parties and “as usual” they are using the A5 up grade to make a flawed political point.
The news that two primary care centres and the construction of the Courthouse in Letterkenny should be welcomed, said Senator Harte.
However in the case of Fianna Fail they squandered the finances and were guilty of ignoring the A5 project when they were throwing money around the country in spades, added the Letterkenny politician.
“Sinn Fein criticising a lack of funding for the A5 is strange logic considering their government in the Stormont administration does not want to build it via a PPP – the road which was to be co-funded by the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive
“If the two parties in Government in Northern Ireland , Sinn Fein and the DUP decided to embrace the construction of the A5 by PPP ( Public Private Partnership) then it could have been considered by the stimulus package.
“The €2bn will be funded through a combination of cash from the European Investment Bank, the National Pension Reserve Fund and the privatisation of State assets, such as the sale of parts of ESB, the State’s stake in Aer Lingus and the National Lottery licence,” said Senator Harte.
He added that instead of criticising the stimulus Sinn Fein should contact their Ministers in the Stormont executive and find out why they won’t agree to PPP’s to contruct the road.