Donegal Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the Irish Government to “step up to the plate” on the funding of the A5 road upgrade, vital to economic growth in Donegal and the North West.
He was speaking as the first stage of the project from Newbuildings to Strabane looks set to get underway in January.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said: “That we have got to this stage is testament to the unrelenting determination of the late Martin McGuinness.
“In 2011, when the then Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar removed Irish Government co- funding for the project, Martin stood up to them and demanded that they honour the promises made in the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.
“Myself and Pearse Doherty were part of the Sinn Féin delegation to those negotiations that led to that commitment and promise. And following Martin’s direct challenge to the then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, the Irish Government re-committed partial funding of €50 million euro over a two year period.
“Now, over six years later, the Irish Government has still not restored that co-funding commitment of £400 million sterling”.
He concluded: “So while the vital A5 project commencing construction in January is good news for Donegal, unless the Irish Government finally steps up to the plate, the full project and the immense potential for our entire region can not be realised.”