The Irish government’s announcement yesterday of more than €800 million for cross-border projects essentially represented a vitally important and hugely positive attempt to address chronic and enduring under-investment in a range of areas.
It needs to be accepted that due to a variety of reasons many of our key transport, educational and community resources have been neglected for far too long and require substantial financial support without further delay.
The most urgent priority at the heart of the major package outlined by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was plainly the upgrading of the A5 link between Derry and Dublin, regarded as Ireland’s most dangerous road, where an appalling death toll has been recorded down the years.
What is particularly frustrating is that it is approaching 17 years since the Stormont executive agreed that with significant southern support the time had come to proceed with a full dual carriageway connecting the north west region with the border at Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone.
One issue after another prevented the commitment from being delivered, and unforgivably almost 50 people died during the same period because they were forced to use a narrow and winding route which was not capable of dealing with the sheer volume of traffic heading in both directions every day.
The report from a public inquiry into the scheme was finally delivered last November but, while the Department of Infrastructure was said to be giving it detailed consideration, no specific timetable has since emerged.
All the concerns expressed by some agricultural and environmental groups have to be fully taken into account, but the bottom line is that the existing A5 is simply not fit for purpose.
The A5 funding plan represents a major step forward and there is every reason to believe that the authorities will be in a position to confirm the start of construction work later this year
The €600m A5 funding plan set out yesterday represents a major step forward and there is every reason to believe that the authorities will be in a position to confirm the start of construction work later this year.
Dublin has also allocated €50m for Casement Park, which should hopefully help to ensure that it is fully operational in time for the 2028 European soccer championships.
The final bill for the Andersonstown stadium still needs to be clarified, with the appointment of overall contractors also another basic requirement, but we have come too far to allow any further doubts to exist about a transformational facility.
There was much more to welcome from the financial allocations, including the practical and symbolic benefits associated with the Narrow Water Bridge scheme which previously suffered from repeated and small-minded political objections.
Solving our infrastructure problems was always going to require a combination of vision and hard cash, so by any standards yesterday was one of the better days in our recent difficult history.
