Donegal Sinn Féin TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the government to sign off on the business case for the TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project and to allow the project to be progressed.
He was speaking ahead of a Sinn Féin motion in the Dáil this evening.
The TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project is the biggest roads project in the history of Donegal and includes the Ballybofey and Stranorlar bypass; the Letterkenny relief road; and the Manorcunningham to Lifford dual carriageway.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: “These vital roads projects for Donegal have faced delay after delay as has the A5 upgrade, connecting Donegal to Dublin.”
He said all the routes are game changers for the people of Donegal and must be delivered as soon as possible.
“The people of Donegal and the Northwest have been treated as second class citizens for far too long. But there is now real momentum behind both the TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project and the A5 upgrade, at last, and we all need to maintain the pressure,” Deputy Mac Lochlainn said.
“This is about equal citizenship and equal opportunities for all people across this island and we expect our Dáil motion to be agreed and passed.
“We need the government to sign off on the business case for the TEN-T Priority Route Improvement Project and to drive the project on and we need them to honour their previous commitment to co-fund the A5 project on a 50-50 basis.”
Sinn Féin Donegal TD, Pearse Doherty has also called on the government to honour its commitment to fund 50% of the cost of the A5 upgrade, as committed to at past of the St Andrews agreement, so that it is commenced and completed as quickly as possible.
“This would save lives and create jobs as well as enhancing the social and economic wellbeing of the North West region,” Deputy Doherty said.
“The government must also take all necessary steps to ensure that the Ten-T Road upgrade projects for Donegal, connecting to the A5 and related N2 upgrades receive approval and are delivered as speedily as possible.
“There can be no more delays, and no more lives lost. It is time to build the A5 road.”
