Debate contribution: A5 Western Transport Corridor: Impact on Local Communities

Debate contribution by Mr Colm Gildernew on 13 May 2025.

MLA

Mr Colm Gildernew

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

13 May 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

A5 Western Transport Corridor: Impact on Local Communities

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4948315

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis mo ghuth a chur leis an rún an-tábhachtach seo. I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh leis na daoine ar maraíodh cairde gaoil dá gcuid ar bhóthar A5. Is tragóid uafásach é nuair a mharaítear duine ar bhóthar A5. Moladh bóthar A5 a uasghrádú den chéad uair tá beagnach fiche bliain ó shin. Ón uair sin i leith cailleadh seacht nduine is caoga ar an bhóthar chéanna.

A chairde,

it is no wonder that the A5 road has been described as "the most dangerous road in Ireland", because that is apt. Let me be absolutely clear: if the upgrade of the A5 does not go ahead, more lives will be lost. The Executive have committed to delivering this flagship project, and we must now see it delivered without further undue delay. I very much welcome the decision by the former Minister, John O'Dowd, to proceed with the project and the current Minister's ongoing attention to the important issue and her attendance today. As my colleagues have pointed out, the upgrade of the A5 will create a key strategic transport route that will open up many opportunities for the entire north-west of Ireland. It will improve connectivity to the region; boost economic growth and business development in the area; and mean that local people have better access to opportunities in education, training and employment. It is unfortunate that legal challenges brought by a small minority have significantly delayed the project. I urge those objectors to cease their continuing legal challenges. I appreciate the frustrations of some of the people who will be directly impacted by the project. It is undeniable that there will be an impact on farmers and people who live along the route, and, in that sense, I thank Tom Buchanan for securing the debate. I urge the Minister and, indeed, all in government to do all that they can to mitigate the impact on those people. However, there must be no further delay in moving to the construction phase. On the debate's framing of the impact, a chairde,

I would like to flag up something that is not often mentioned: the impact that the current situation has on the residents of Aughnacloy. The main road from Dublin to Derry and on to Donegal — one of the main roads in this country — runs right through the middle of Aughnacloy village. That means that children, old people or residents who are accessing the shop, the community centre, the pharmacy or the many other services on the main street in Aughnacloy — Moore Street — have to literally stand at the side of the road until such times as two vehicles, coming from either direction, stop to create a crossing. There is one crossing away up near the Monaghan Road, but it is too far away from those shops. Essentially, people rely on the goodwill of two drivers to coordinate and stop. The width of Aughnacloy's main street means that some of the drivers behind, who have not seen the pedestrian, do not realise what is happening and, in frustration, go to overtake or come up the inside to get past. I have raised it on numerous occasions that I am really afraid that we will see a child, an older person or someone else being badly hurt or killed in Aughnacloy village as a result of the strategic traffic that goes through the town. At the top end of Moore Street — up near the chapel — residents have to either stop the traffic on the A5 road in order to reverse into their parking space or drive in when they get an opportunity and then reverse out when they leave their home. It is having a massive impact on the village. Furthermore, on the Monaghan Road, there are serious problems, as schoolchildren have to cross the main A5, where there is no crossing, to get to the football field or the homes there. Minister, I invite you to Aughnacloy to have a look at the real impact that the lack of a bypass as part of the A5 project is having there. I sincerely thank the Enough is Enough campaign, which is spearheaded by the GAA, for its tireless and effective campaigning over the past number of years. I encourage everyone to work together to get the road built and save lives.

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

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:37 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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