The Duke of Abercorn has appealed to the British and Irish governments to seek £10 million from the EU to upgrade the A5 road between Derry and Ballygawley, Co Tyrone - the northern stretch of the trans-European route between Derry and Dublin. The duke, who lives at Baron's Court, near Omagh, was speaking yesterday in the House of Lords.
He welcomed last May's announcement by the British Chancellor of the Exchequer that £12 million would be spent on bypasses at Strabane, Newtownstewart and Omagh, and on work at Ballymagorry. But he stressed the need for extra investment to bring the road up to modern standards.
"In Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh there are no port facilities, no railways, no motorways, two modest small airports, and thus the A5 road remains the critical link with the rest of Ireland, north and south, as well as the east-coast gateway ports to the UK and Europe."
He said the road's poor condition had "a detrimental psychological impact" on people living in the west of Northern Ireland and in Donegal because "it accentuates the feeling of remoteness of these western counties from the considerably more prosperous east of the Bann counties."
The duke said the road's condition deterred potential investors from places like Strabane, which he said has the highest unemployment rate in the EU. He quoted the IDA as saying that poor access was a key factor in making the north-west an unattractive location.
He said that the rebuilding of Omagh after last August's bombing would "require every ounce of sensitivity, creativity, drive and determination and must in no way be hampered by poor transportation and communication".