I raise the issue of the Galway city ring road and the urgent need for clarity on whether it will be granted planning permission. As Members will be aware, this saga has been going on for decades, during which time the other major cities of the country have all seen significant upgrades to their roads infrastructure. Galway remains reliant on the same limited road network it relied on 40 years ago, which results in gridlock across the city on a daily basis.

The most recent revised planning application was made in 2023. It is now 2026 and we are being told that a decision can be expected in the coming months. It is absolute insanity that a major infrastructural priority has been stuck in the planning process since 2023. I know the Government has prioritised reform in the area. Clearly it is needed because how long this process is taking and how much frustration it is causing for all stakeholders involved beggars belief.

The Galway Chamber of Commerce this week said that the continuing traffic gridlock is limiting the growth of Galway and threatening further inward investment. That would certainly be my understanding and I believe it has done that for some time, particularly with regard to multinationals establishing a base in Ireland for the first time. I am led to believe that Galway's traffic chaos has been a significant negative in such cases over the last number of years and other cities have benefited as a result.

I do not think anyone is saying that the ring road alone will solve all our traffic woes, but it is a significant and much-needed part of the solution. As I have said more broadly, it is unacceptable that such major infrastructural projects are stuck in the planning system for years. I ask the Leader of the House to raise the issue with Ministers and ask them to come to the House to discuss how planning reform will change that.