Time to Put the West on Our Road Map

Large tracts of Donegal, Sligo and Monaghan have been given access at expense to the British taxpayer and a little quid pro quo is to be welcomed, at long last.

It is the sad reality that current planning decisions are related to crisis management, whereas we should now be thinking in terms of facilitating development to improve economic prospects over the next 25 years.

Economic activity must, therefore, be encouraged in the direction of the west coast.

It is time to pursue the logic of this idea by looking at a map of the border area.

Bring a route, a major motorway, and a railway from Newry (A25) across through Monaghan, and thence by the straightest route to Enniskillen and forward to Sligo and the problem will be cracked.

Existing eastern port facilities cannot cope, so upgrading Newry for container traffic will provide the dynamics for westward expansion.

Malachy McAnespie Dunmurry

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