Remarks by An Taoiseach Official opening of the Belfast to Dublin route Newry, Thursday, 29 July 2010

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be here this morning, on what is undoubtedly another historic day for the island of Ireland.

In recent years, I often had to explain to people that trips to Newry can have their advantages.

Indeed, I often made the point that the border economy goes in cycles and that it was all - to use a well-worn phrase - "a case of swings and roundabouts".

Whatever about the swings, it looks like today we've finally got rid of the roundabouts!

I want to thank the Minister for Regional Development, and local MP, Conor Murphy, for the invitation to be part of today's official opening.

Having recently opened the final link in the new Dublin to Cork motorway in Co. Laois, I know how Conor feels today to see the huge benefits of a major piece of infrastructure for the towns and villages of his local area.

I'm sure he's very glad not to have to travel too far to work in the morning - at least for one day!

And I know that, like all good Armagh people, Conor will be delighted that his neighbours from Down and Tyrone will also be able to use this new road to travel to Croke Park at the weekend!

I would also like to acknowledge the warm welcome give to me by the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, by Minister Robin Newton and by the Mayor of Newry Mick Murphy.

I welcome distinguished representatives from all of those companies and agencies who worked so hard to bring this magnificent project to fruition well ahead of schedule.

You can be very proud of your work.

It will bring immense benefits to this locality and to the entire island of Ireland.

I was recalling as I travelled up here this morning, the long journey times, the delays and tailbacks we all experienced - as we passed through Swords, Balbriggan, Drogheda, Dundalk and Newry.

Those towns have all benefited enormously from the joint planning and investment, on both sides of the border, that culminate in the opening today of the final link in the Dublin to Belfast road corridor.

The eastern seaboard and the border region have been transformed in recent years. Today's event is yet another physical manifestation of the enormous progress we have all made by working together to improve the lives of all our people.

Instead of all the associations we had with it in the past, it is a potent symbol of the new Ireland.

It is also a proud part of the Trans European Network and I would like to acknowledge the European Union's support for this project as well as for so many others, North and South.

The EU has rightly recognised the importance of infrastructural investment for the future economic prosperity of the island. The Union has generously supported our collective endeavours as we strive to achieve a better Ireland for all and it is important that we recognise that invaluable contribution.

Today's event is part of a process of unprecedented transformation of the physical infrastructure and economic capacity of this island.

As many of you will know, we are in the final stages of a programme that will deliver hundreds of kilometres of motorway linking Dublin with Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford.

Know collectively as the Major Interurban Routes, they are providing a reliable, fast and safe means of transporting people and goods between the major centres of population and our major sea and airports.

As well as Dublin to Belfast today, the Dublin to Galway and Dublin to Cork roads are completed.

The final section of the Dublin to Waterford road is due for completion in the early Autumn.

The final sections of the Dublin to Limerick route will follow shortly afterwards - building on the magnificent Limerick Tunnel which I had the honour to open earlier this week.

I believe the delivery of this road network is a wonderful achievement.

Together with other infrastructural initiatives these roads are making this island, as a whole, a far more attractive place for international investors to come and for our indigenous business to develop and thrive.

It brings all of us much closer together and opens up even greater possibilities for building up trade, investment, business and tourism for all of the people on the island.

Our work, of course, is not done.

Earlier this week, I announced the next phase of the Irish Government's capital investment programme.

This involves a massive investment of nearly 40 billion euros - in support for jobs and enterprise, roads, public transport, energy, broadband, housing, education, health and many other areas.

This will maintain a level of capital investment at well above the European average.

Most importantly of all, it is designed to help create and support tens of thousands of jobs in construction and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the future.

I am pleased to confirm today that, despite the very difficult budgetary pressures, the Government's new capital programme contains the funding required to meet our commitment to the cross-border road projects serving both the eastern corridor and the North West.

Within the next five years, we will see the completion of a road network of the highest quality from Larne to Rosslare and from Dublin to Derry and Donegal.

I know that Minister Murphy is pressing ahead, with Minister Noel Dempsey, on these projects.

I suspect he's under more pressure now that ever to deliver, including from the deputy First minister - we're going to need very good roads when we all go to visit the City of Culture in 2013!

Earlier this month I hosted the North South Ministerial Conference at Farmleigh where I chaired detailed discussions on the economy with our Northern Ministerial Colleagues.

We all recognise that we are in tremendously difficult economic times.

For the North, perhaps, there are more difficult times ahead.

But we have overcome far greater challenges in the past by working together.

The administrations in Dublin and Belfast are both well aware that we need to co-operate together in order to achieve the cost-savings that are required in the current environment.

It is not only on infrastructure where we are intending to work together.

There are substantial benefits to be gained through working together in areas such as healthcare, education, innovation, energy, agriculture, tourism, industrial promotion and spatial planning.

The completion of the Dublin to Belfast motorway today is a powerful symbol of what we can achieve when we work together.

It is an inspiration to deeper cooperation as we each seek to meet the challenges ahead.

Once again congratulations to all involved.

Go raibh maith agaibh.