We all know the song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary". I know it was a British World War song. It is a long wait for the people of Tipperary town, muintir Thiobraid Árann, for the bypass and for some measures to alleviate the huge problem of mainly trucks congesting the town on a 24-7 basis. We had hopes with the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, that this section of the N24 would have been completed around Tipperary to give us a relief road but nothing happened. This has to be included in the national development plan. We have to get this relief road for Tipperary town for the sake of the chamber of commerce, the business people and ordinary people to live, work and play in the town. The volume of trucks going through it is unacceptable. It is impossible to maintain the street and to live on it with the noise and air pollution. Will the Taoiseach try to give a commitment that we will get this relief road for Tipperary town?

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue for Tipperary town and more generally. I think he is correct in his recollections that the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, indicated that he was positively disposed to the bypass and that he preferred bypasses as opposed to lengthy motorways, but progress has not been made so far to the degree people would want. We will certainly be considering this in the context of the national development plan. Our experiences with earlier bypasses such as the Macroom bypass environmentally and sustainability-wise have been huge. It has been just transformative for people in Macroom, Baile Bhuirne and all that area. It has changed people's lives as well as improving economic connectivity. Broadly speaking, we favour this. The one potential major constraint is the financial framework and so on that we have to govern this but I hear the Deputy loud and clear.