Cork-Limerick motorway and Brexit media
Senator Burke supported fast-tracking the M20 and linked it to regional development and the Ryder Cup, with brief interjections from other Senators. He then raised a separate concern about inaccurate British media claims on Brexit and the Irish border, arguing the facts need to be corrected.
I agree with my colleague, Senator Kieran O'Donnell, regarding the motorway from Cork to Limerick. It is an important development that the team has now been appointed to progress the project. We must fast-track it; it should not drag on for four or five years before construction starts. We should set clear timelines and aim to meet them.
I also agree with the Senator that it would be a great achievement if Adare Manor got the Ryder Cup. The advantage of having a motorway built is that many of the people attending could stay in Cork and travel to Adare for the event. There is an advantage for both sides in that regard. The development of the-----
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It could go to Galway, too.
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Senator Craughwell is dead right. This project is about developing the entire region, and it is important that the emphasis be on the growth of Cork and Munster and moving away from the major growth centre of the past 25 or 30 years, namely, Dublin, so that we can plan properly and ensure we have the necessary infrastructure.
I wish to raise another matter regarding the British media's commentary on Brexit. I was shocked to read an article in yesterday's edition of The Times written by Ms Melanie Phillips. She wrote: "The crisis bubbling just below the surface ever since Britain voted to leave the EU is now at the point of eruption." She also wrote: "Only a tiny amount of trade crosses the Irish border." For someone to write that in what I regard as a reputable newspaper-----
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I will repeat her line: "Only a tiny amount of trade crosses the Irish border." We need to consider whether our Government should provide briefing documents to members of the British media-----
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-----regarding the level of trade. Interestingly, when I tweeted about this, someone replied that Ireland was the UK's fifth largest export customer and that there were more exports from Britain to Ireland than there were from Britain to Spain or Italy. We must provide some education on this matter, as there is a great deal of misinformation that needs to be corrected. It is appalling that a journalist could write an article like this and believe she could get away with it.