A5 WTC

McGuinness: “It’s fair to say [A5 upgrade is] back on track again”

Pete Baker on November 11, 2011, 10:43 pm

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No, really!! Following the Irish Government’s decision to postpone their £400million contribution to the £850million cost of the proposed A5 upgrade, the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers announced they would be seeking “maximum clarity on this issue” in talks with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, while they were in Dublin today. After the meeting, the NI deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, was accentuating the positive to UTV’s Ken Reid. “It’s far from dead,” Mr McGuinness told UTV. “I think, …

Irish Government ‘postpones’ £400m A5 upgrade funding

Pete Baker on November 9, 2011, 2:26 pm

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Given the dire economic situation, and the fact that the Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister isn’t due to decide how the A5 Western Transport Corridor is to progress until “early 2012”, it’s hardly surprising that the Irish Government has withdrawn its £400million contribution to the £850million scheme. The RTÉ report describes it as being ‘postponed’ after a “review of a range of major capital infrastructure commitments”. [Indefinitely? – Ed] You might well think that… As Irish Labour Party transport spokesman, Joe …

Conor Murphy starving North South transport links of cash

Turgon on March 10, 2011, 11:18 pm

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One of the less noted parts of the draft budget has been that of the Department of Regional Development. An 11 mile section of the railway line between Lisburn and Lurgan requires £40 million of repairs. The draft budget has allocated monies to improve the Coleraine to Londonderry line which would, Murphy claims, otherwise have been faced with closure but none to the Belfast Dublin line. Since money is not being spent on the Belfast to Dublin service, it will …

Irish Labour Party: “We may not be in a position to build the road from Dublin…”

Pete Baker on December 11, 2010, 5:00 pm

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Thanks to today’s Irish News we have the response from the Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, to comments from Irish Labour Party transport spokesman, Joe Costello, which cast doubt on the proposed £850million upgrade of the A5 between Londonderry and Aughnacloy. From the Irish News report Mr Murphy said last night it was too late for the Republic to back out of its commitment to the project because the contract had already been signed and a payment plan …

Irish Labour Party: “giving Northern Ireland £400million towards its roads is not a priority”

Pete Baker on December 9, 2010, 3:16 pm

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The Irish News today reports comments from the Irish Labour Party’s transport spokesman, Joe Costello, TD, which cast doubt on the proposed £850million upgrade of the A5 between Londonderry and Aughnacloy. From the Irish News report …Mr Costello claimed that while it was “fine to make commitments in the middle of the Celtic Tiger years”, the southern state could no longer afford “grandiose schemes”. “At the present time, we are experiencing savage cutbacks in education, health and social welfare. Giving Northern …

Terror in Tyrone – White Elephant Alert.

Drumlins Rock on June 3, 2010, 12:00 am

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Recently there have reports of a large white elephant surveying the landscape across a large swathe of the centre of Tyrone, it is believed the creature has strong intentions of making its presence a permanent feature of this region. It is accepted that some of the local residents would openly welcome such a prestigious neighbour and others, who have escaped any direct contact to date, seemed little concerned by its presence. However an increasing number have been dismayed by the …