Debate contribution: A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass

Debate contribution by Mrs Deborah Erskine on 20 February 2024.

MLA

Mrs Deborah Erskine

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

20 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

A4 Enniskillen Southern Bypass

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4381294

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber for this debate on the A4 southern bypass, which is timely, given the announcement last night in a written ministerial statement from the Finance Minister on the provision of Executive funding to move forward that much-needed infrastructure project. That announcement is welcome, not least because of the soaring costs of the project. I thank the Finance Minister and, indeed, all Executive colleagues. My DUP Executive colleagues will be glad that I will not be torturing them any more about securing some funding for the project. I will speak in the debate in my capacity as DUP MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone rather than as Chair of the Infrastructure Committee. I see some Infrastructure Committee members in the Chamber, and I am sure that they will join me in welcoming last night's announcement. The A4 southern bypass is much needed for Fermanagh, as I said. It is a key infrastructure project that will stop congestion in the town and will, of course, create construction jobs, as a result of the announcement. As I said, I welcome the investment that has already been put into the project and the approval to provide £16·2 million of capital funding across 2024-25 and 2025-26. It has to be said, though, that, in the summer, I was dismayed that the £15 million that was previously committed to the project as part of the new deal funding was withdrawn and paused. However, I am glad that that now forms part of the financial package that accompanied the restoration of the Executive. What will also be great news for the local councils involved in the Mid South West growth deal is the commitment from the Executive that £12·5 million of the growth deal can be released early. Since becoming an MLA in 2021, I have continued to raise the issue of the Enniskillen A4 southern bypass. The Infrastructure Minister will be aware that, in January 2022, site clearance and fencing works commenced. NIE diversionary works happened in summer 2022. I recognise that the Minister committed funding before he previously left office. As a local representative, I did not want to see public funds go to waste after work had already taken place, so it is important that the scheme progress without any further delay. It is a project that everybody in my constituency wants to see delivered. I spoke to one man recently who said that he was told by a DFI Roads official that, believe it or not, 47 years ago, there were supposed to have been plans drawn up for a bypass in Enniskillen. I hope, Minister, that we will not see another project take 47 years to be delivered. It has certainly been a long-running issue in the constituency, and it is important that we see infrastructure projects progress as quickly as they possibly can. The west can often feel like a poor relation when it comes to investment and commitments to seeing the economy grow and to creating better communities. I hope that the commitment to the A4 Enniskillen southern bypass shows that there is a seriousness to deliver in the west and level up our communities. I will use my voice to keep championing our beautiful, lovely, resilient Fermanagh and South Tyrone. I want to quash the myth that there is an attitude of forgetting about the constituency. I must admit that I am greedy when it comes to Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and I will not just stop now that funding has been delivered for this project in my constituency. We need more investment. Another matter to raise is the need to ensure that Fermanagh is on the map in the all-island rail review . Right now, Fermanagh is the only county in Northern Ireland not included, and that is simply not good enough. With such strategic road investment, we must match up other key infrastructure projects. Although I welcome last night's news of investment funding, the hard work starts now, and we must progress at pace. I noticed in the Finance Minister's statement that procurement can now go ahead. I therefore ask the Infrastructure Minister to detail the timescales for delivery and to ensure that there are no further delays to the project. I thank other Members who will speak on the topic, which relates to Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and I thank the Infrastructure Minister for coming to the Chamber. I am sure that we can all agree that we look forward to the day that we are cutting the ribbon and driving on the A4 Enniskillen southern bypass.

769 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:42 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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