Debate contribution: A5: Delivery
Debate contribution by Mr Maolíosa McHugh on .
- MLA
- Mr Maolíosa McHugh
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 5 March 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Adjournment
- Heading
- A5: Delivery
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4252987
Read the official Assembly record
Text
For 30-odd years, I think, I travelled on the A5 from Castlederg to Derry. On that road, day and daily, I was in one queue of traffic after another. There was no doubt about just how inadequate it was as an arterial route, from Dublin to Derry or from Belfast to Derry and into Donegal. Yet and all, we continuously faced long queues of traffic, and motorists became more frustrated day and daily. It was no surprise that there were numerous accidents on that stretch of road — accidents in which many lost their lives and others were seriously injured. I acknowledge the part that was played by families, particularly those who were bereaved, and the way in which they have continued to highlight the whole issue of the A5 and the need for its improvement. After 30 years of travelling from Strabane to Derry, when I became an MLA, I embarked on the journey from Strabane to Belfast. I was going in a different direction on that road, but the problem was exactly the same — the road was totally inadequate for the amount of traffic that travelled on it. I keep asking myself why. It is the arterial route to Derry, Donegal, Tyrone and Fermanagh, and we know that the road needs improvement in order to create the infrastructure that will allow that area of the north-west to be a net contributor to the Irish economy. When I use the term "Irish economy", I am talking about the economy throughout this island, which we will all benefit from. Without doubt, it is time that we step up to the plate and ensure that the road project is delivered. Up to now, there have been objections that have been obstacles to the delivery of the A5. It is about time that we confront all the issues that objectors have raised. I am not arguing one way or the other about their right to raise them, but, in some cases, we have to ensure that we are well prepared for that type of objection to come forward. I remember that one objector whom I talked to at the time said, "Well, you know, it is not the road that needs to be improved but the drivers". He put down the whole idea of people losing their lives and accidents to being the result of careless drivers. I pointed out to him the case of the A4, which was at one stage the most notorious road on the island of Ireland. With the creation of a dual carriageway, the statistics for accidents and death on that road changed dramatically. The same thing will happen with the A5. It is time that that nettle is grasped. We have to ensure delivery for the health of the people who live in that area and for the economy of the north-west in every respect. That delivery will ensure that that part of the island is as well catered for as the rest of the island. I will explain what I mean by that. Only this weekend, I travelled from Castlederg to Dublin, from Dublin to Killarney and from Killarney back up the west coast again. On every single part of that journey, I travelled on motorway that was safe and sound for everyone on it. If it was not motorway in some areas, it was dual carriageway. I asked myself the question: why can the rest of this island develop an infrastructure such as that — as we all know, that infrastructure has created an economy that makes it one of the richest of countries in Europe — yet, in the north-west, we find ourselves totally deprived of the kind of infrastructure that we need to ensure that we too are a net contributor to the greater economy of this island?
637 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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