A5 unaffordable in present fiscal climate - Allister
25 November 2010
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister:-
"As each Department examines its budget for essential savings, a real test of DRD's capacity to put fiscal common sense before its political agenda will be whether it faces up to the reality that the A5 project should be scrapped.
"With no credible NI roads infrastructure argument ever established in favour of this Dublin to Donegal motorway, with no business case ever presented and with a reducing budget, we can no longer afford the Minister's pet political project. There can be no justification for slashing the province-wide road maintenance budget for the sake of keeping the A5 scheme afloat.
"If, and it should, it faces the same searching reassessment as every other spending commitment, then, it cannot survive, because the business and fiscal case for such huge expenditure cannot be sustained. Instead heavily scaled backed improvements to the existing A5 is affordable and would also save County Tyrone farmers from the devastation intended for many by Minister Murphy and his grandiose A5 project.
"Also with the Republic now in financial meltdown the prospect of it defaulting on its financial commitment to the A5 is greater than ever. The Dublin government can't afford this road and we certainly can't afford to build it for them.
"So, I am calling now on DRD to face financial reality and halt the A5 project now and, thereby, lift the threat to hundreds of acres of valuable agriculture land."
