A5 High Court decision to be appealed

THE Department for Infrastructure is to appeal the High Court ruling to quash approval for the £1.2 billion A5 dual-carriageway between Aughnacloy and Newbuildings.

In a statement issued at Stormont today, the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins said that it was now their intention to pursue an appeal against the ruling of Mr Justice McAlinden eight days ago.

But she will need Executive approval to begin the appeal process.

“This is an Executive flagship project and there is a will that this needs to be done. It is my intention that we will look towards appealing the ruling,” she said.

“My priority is to find the best solution. We need to do that very carefully and my officials and legal team are all doing that.”

The Minister was flanked by members of the Tyrone GAA Enough is Enough campaign, including its chairman, Niall McKenna. Also in attendance at the press conference was West Tyrone MP, Orfhlaith Begley.

He said that the one certainty surrounding the A5 was that there will be more deaths on the road.

“The one thing that we implored the Department to do was to act decisively on this and we would welcome an appeal,” he added.

“We would like this to be done as quickly as possible because the reality is that someone is killed every three months on this road and it needs to be treated as a matter of urgency.”