A5 - Derry Dual Carraigeway

Can't we just lend them some money to finish this? I think the UK govt has little intention of any large infrastructure investment in the north as they believe it's on the way out but the Irish government does have an interest here for Donegal.

We've given them nearly €100 million already out of a promised €220 million or so; we stopped when it was clear that nothing was going to be done.

The money is not the problem with A5, as the funds are voted and ready to spend - it doesn't even need the Executive to sit for this project to proceed. All that is needed is planning, and it can proceed automatically to tender without any further government decision needed. The problem is that a well-organised group of landowners and NIMBYs is obstructing the planning for this road.

... and not that I agree with with the NIMBYs etc are doing, but they make the M28 Steering Group look like amateurs.

We should, but Eamonn Ryan is in control down here and is paring back N2 plans. He is not in charge up north, nor is he seemingly in charge of the purse strings in terms of potential money sent to the A5.

The central part of the second phase, from Momaghan to Emyvale is not a 21st century national road, despite some modest improvements. Even on the open sections it has a 80Kmh speed limit and it passes a church and a school at Corracrin and then up the main street in Emyvale. Google estimates and average speed of just a fracton over 60kmh on this section and if you got behind something going more slowly then there is little opportunity for overtaking. They should keep the N2 project moving along, given the importance of road connections to the north-west and to keep the pressure on for improvement on the A5. The current back pedalling is unfortunate.

the whole corridor needed a proper motorway. I go from Greystones to Derry. These days it is more viable to take the M1 to Belfast and then go by motor via Glenshane onto the new dual carriageway than it is to go via the M1, Ardee, Omagh etc.

These new plans will benefit Western northern Ireland and some of Donegal but it seems very little very late

Still a big question mark over the project given the latest price projections - can NI fund half the project?

There is also the spectre of the Alternative A5 alliance (which basically equates to use the existing A5 and sod the deaths). They are an incredibly effective anti-road group, that really make the Maryborough Hill protestors on the M28 in Cork look like amateurs.

I don't think this particular group has any desire beyond preventing the A5 upgrade, for whatever their reasons.

I have reservations about us helping to fund this. It is the responsibility of the UK to fund and provide infrastructure in the north. We are talking nearly half a billion euros.

Most still support the union apparently so let the UK government pay for it and provide the services there.

The problem with that kind of position is that there is actually no cost-benefit justification for NIRS to upgrade A5 south of Aughnacloy, as it goes "nowhere" (except into a foreign country). Isolationism cuts both ways.

I'm no United-Irelander, but I am pragmatic. We have a problem where an important route between two parts of our country is deficient because the other country that it goes throgh won't upgrade their section of it. The solution is to give them money towards doing what we need, even if it ends up paying for stuff that's in a different country.

... and we're not paying half of this. Not by a long way. We'll pay about 25% max of the total.

I don't at all mean to take this thread off in another direction, but just to be precise. The ring leader of that M28 protest group was actually a resident of Mount Oval, very few on Maryborough Hill were anti M28. Most of those objecting were residents of Mount Oval ( or to be more precise Mount Hovel )

Am I right in thinking the Minister for Transport has no say on the allocation of money to NI part of the project?

It's purely an exchequer matter to us, so is allocated only by Min for Expenditure