Strabane Sinn Féin Vice-Chair among high-profile delegation taking A5 funding lobby to Dublin

Strabane Sinn Féin Council Vice-Chair Dan Kelly will be part of a high-profile delegation of Council Chairs/Vice Chairs and Chief Executives from border region councils that will be travelling to address the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement in Dublin this Thursday (13 September),  as part of lobbying to get the Irish government to honour the previous financial commitments it had entered into to jointly fund the A5 Dual carriageway in partnership with the Assembly Executive.

Speaking ahead of the lobbying initiative Cllr Kelly said,

“With work scheduled to commence on the Derry-Strabane and Omagh to Ballygawley sections of the A5 next month, this initiative is very much part of the lobby to influence the Irish government to honour the erstwhile financial commitments it had made on the A5 Project.

“At the request of Pat Doherty MP, this all-party Joint Implementation Committee (made up of TDs, MPs, and Senators) paid a fact finding visit to Strabane and Omagh in April of this year and during this visit the request to allow the combined lobby body representing Strabane, Omagh, Donegal, Derry, Monaghan and Dungannon Councils to formally address the Committee on the A5 issue was made.

“So Thursday’s engagement is the follow up to this request and, through the collective lobby approach of the councils involved, a powerful lobby will be presented to the Joint Committee outlining how crucial the completion of the entire A5 route is to the socio-economic progression of this region of the island."