A5 ‘objectors’ urged to ‘reconsider their challenges’ given ‘deadly’ state of road

Derry Journal

Transcript

00:00 Unfortunately, due to legal challenges by a small minority, there's been significant

00:05 delays to this project. I join others in urging these objectors to

00:09 reconsider their challenges and to instead consider how deadly this road is

00:13 and to think of the many lives that have been lost and the many people and

00:16 communities left devastated by the death of loved ones because this road simply

00:20 is not fit for purpose. I raised the issue of the safety of day 5 in the last

00:24 Assembly mandate following the death of three young men over Christmas 2021. I'm

00:28 saddened to say that this road has taken more lives since then, again with families

00:32 and our communities having been torn apart with devastating loss. It is a

00:36 heartbreaking reality that until the A5 is upgraded and made safe for users it

00:40 will continue to take lives. The recent public inquiry reflected the widespread

00:45 support for the A5 upgrade from the local community, business leaders and

00:49 from the many families affected by the loss of loved ones on this road. And I'd

00:53 like to take this opportunity to commend and thank Trone GAA and the work they've

00:57 done through their Enough is Enough campaign and for their participation in

01:00 the public inquiry. The Enough is Enough campaign was very successful in raising

01:04 awareness of the dangers of the A5. It highlighted the devastating impact the

01:07 loss of life on the A5 road has had on individual families and on local

01:11 communities and it expressed urgency required in delivering the upgrade. I'd

01:16 also like to pay tribute to and thank all of the families who have lost loved

01:20 ones on the A5 for their contributions to the inquiry and for their

01:23 determination in ensuring this project is completed. They've shown great

01:27 strength and dignity through very difficult times. So we cannot accept any

01:32 more delays to the upgrade of the A5 road and I look forward to working with

01:36 the executive to ensure that the delivery of the A5 and again urge those who have so

01:41 far delayed progress to the development to reconsider their objections.

01:44 Mr. Speaker, since 1998, 70 people have lost their lives on the A5 road. Now I

01:53 know this house has heard about this road on many occasions but patience has

01:57 worn thin. This week we are optimistic that the new Minister John O'Dowd will

02:03 soon make a decision, a positive decision, on the A5 road. Hundreds of families are

02:10 awaiting positive news, particularly after the very successful public inquiry

02:15 that was very well attended over a course of two weeks. It was attended by

02:21 the families who lost loved ones over the last 20 odd years. It was also

02:27 attended by businesses and locals in my constituency and beyond that feel so

02:32 strongly about the development of this project. We cannot take a single moment

02:38 for granted because every delay to this road, Mr. Speaker, costs another human

02:44 life. In recent times there's been some horrific accidents on that road. I too

02:50 have known personally a number of people that have died in very tragic

02:54 circumstances. Most recently Dan McCain, his sister Christine McCain and their

02:59 aunt Julia McCain. They were on their way back from a funeral and sadly lost their

03:04 lives at this Achna Chloe stretch of the A5 road. Also we have Peter McNamee,

03:10 Nathan Corrigan and Peter Fannigan that lost their lives in the Ballygully

03:14 stretch of the road at Gervaghe. There is no section of this road that is safe and

03:21 the loss of those lives and the impact on those families is testament to just

03:26 how dangerous that road is for each and every one of us on a daily occasion. And

03:31 I haven't even touched on the thousands of injured people, people who have been

03:37 left with life-changing injuries that are having to survive the trauma of that

03:41 road yet face that road every day as they live along it and have to access it.

03:46 It runs through the very heart of my constituency. There is no avoiding it.

03:50 We're forced on to this death trap on a daily basis. That is why, and I'm sure I

03:55 don't have to convince this House, it is so critical that a decision is made soon.

04:00 And I encourage the Minister for Infrastructure to do that. But equally I

04:04 encourage our colleagues in Dublin, the Taoiseach Leo Bradker and the Tannista

04:09 Mio Martin, to recommit significant funds to ensure the delivery of this

04:14 road. Their intervention is critical to its delivery. Their support for this

04:20 project is critical for the delivery of the project. Today we think of all of

04:24 those who have lost their lives and we think of their families. Let us hope, Mr.

04:29 Speaker, the decision will arrive soon and a positive one at that. Thank you.

Category

Transcript

Recommended