A5: Irish government to consider more funding for upgrade

Leo Varadkar says the Irish government will soon be in a position to "make a revised financial commitment to the A5"

The Irish government is to consider increasing its financial contribution to the A5 dual carriageway project to better connect Londonderry and Dublin.

The A5 is a 58-mile (94km) road linking Derry with the main road to Dublin at Aughnacloy on the border.

The road is considered one of the most dangerous on the island of Ireland, claiming more than 50 lives since 2006.

Despite first being announced about 16 years ago, work has not yet started on the proposed dual carriageway upgrade.

It has been beset by numerous delays.

If completed, the major upgrade would be the largest road ever built in Northern Ireland, with an estimated cost of around £1.6bn.

Speaking in the Dáil (Irish lower house of parliament) on Wednesday, the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) said more funding to help complete the major upgrade would now be considered.

The Irish government previously pledged to contribute £400m to the total cost of the major road project as part of the St Andrews Agreement, but this offer was then withdrawn during the recession in 2011.

The current government funding commitment for the project now stands at about £75m, but speaking in the Dáil, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said this will likely be revised.

In response to a question from the Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Mr Varadkar said the government would soon be in a position to "make a revised financial commitment to the A5".

"We didn't actually remove our commitment, but we did reduce it substantially on account of the financial crisis that occurred here," he said.

"The situation is now different, we are now in a much better position financially as a country and the Northern Ireland Executive is now back up and running.

"I had an opportunity to speak with Minister [John] O'Dowd about this on my trip to Stormont last Monday.

"We should be in a position next week or two to make a revised financial commitment to the A5."

What is the A5?

Map of A5 and proposed dual-carriageway

More than 50 people have been killed on the road since 2006.

In one year alone, between October 2021 and October 2022, 10 people died on the A5, according to official figures.

If upgrade work is completed, the A5 dual carriageway would be the largest road scheme in Northern Ireland.

But despite first being announced about 16 years ago, work has not yet started.

In 2020 and 2023, a planning appeals public inquiry heard the arguments for and against the proposals.

Many families have spoken out about the impact the loss of loved ones on the A5 have had on their lives.

Speaking earlier this week, Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd said the project was a priority for him.

He said too many lives had been "cut short or forever changed" by serious injury as a result of crashes on the A5 and too many families were living with the "devastating consequences".

The minister said contractors had been appointed and his officials were continuing to engage with them to ensure a readiness for construction subject to the completion of the public inquiry process and a decision to proceed with the scheme.