By Alan Rodgers

THE North’s Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, has confirmed that the decision to quash approval for the £1.2 billion A5 dual-carriageway has now been lodged by her Department ahead of deadline of tomorrow for the proceedings to take place.

The A5 is a major primary route in the North of Ireland. It links the city of Derry with Aughnacloy, county Tyrone via the towns of Strabane and Omagh. The project has huge significance for Donegal too, as well as the wider north west region. Just south of Aughnacloy is the border with the Republic of Ireland, where the A5 meets the N2 to Dublin.

The Irish government committed €600 million in February 2024 to the Shared Island projects including the long-awaited upgrading of the A5 road link to the north west.

But, in June, High Court Judge in the North, Mr Justice McAlinden, refused permission for work on the new road to start. He cited environmental concerns, the Climate Change Act and a breach of human rights for the decision to call a halt on the north’s largest infrastructure project.

At an event held in Canavan’s of Garvaghy, the Minister expressed her belief that the grounds for the appeal were ‘robust.’ But she declined to say exactly what the Department would be using as the basis for its legal challenge.

“It was my intention that we would be pursuing an appeal to the recent ruling and I have instructed legal counsel to submit the appeal. That will be done imminently ahead of the deadline for appeal on Friday, August 8,” she said.

“Officials,myself and my team have been working night and day to ensure that we are submitting a very robust appeal while also looking at all the other options. We are continuing to work through that in parallel to the appeal.

“We have been working very comprehensively and are pushing ahead with this.”

The Minister said that timings for the appeal were now in the hands of the Court process. She added that they would be following the process very closely, and that they had been working with other departments and the Tyrone GAA Enough is Enough campaign.

She added that they were working closely with officials from the Department for Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs over the outworkings of the Climate Change Act, and how the road would comply with the Act if and when it is completed.

“It is important to say that we are looking at everything here and it is very important that we do appeal the judgement. A huge amount of work went into the High Court hearing and we were very confident of getting it over the line.