Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister and I have had our differences in the past on a range of issues. One matter on I have great sympathy for him is the issue of roads and capital spending because there will never be enough funding. Obviously, he has other competing capital public transport projects across Dublin and other cities. I was in that Department and have sympathy for him.

I will ventilate some issues for the Minister to put into the mix. This opens up together all the ports across the south of Ireland. Given our issues in regard to a range of other areas, including climate change, that should be considered. Second, it opens up Shannon Airport. It meets our spatial strategy plans. We cannot continue developing this country based on the conurbation around Dublin. We need to open up other parts of the country and I believe turning this into an motorway, even if we have to do it in stages, is critical in order to achieve it.

I very much welcome what the Minister said. I am taking it as a move in the right direction that, in consideration of upgrading the road from the Cahir on the M8 to Limerick Junction, which is a road desperately in need of being upgraded, it allows a continuation of the M8 motorway on to Limerick Junction and then from a road from Limerick Junction into Limerick, which is not as bad as the other area. I implore the Minister. Even if he could countenance doing that component of it, that would be welcome. It would open up that part of the country and allow for continuation of the work when more funding is available. I encourage the Minister to do that. I believe it would open up the whole area, particularly a part of the country that has not had infrastructural investment. There are serious issues, for instance, in Tipperary town and the surrounding areas. We need to allow for greater investment in that whole area and this would do so. Even if the Minister were to look on it favourably, it would be welcomed by all sides of the House.

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