Minister Michael Ring has hit back at Fianna Fail’s Lisa Chambers for comments she made yesterday on Midwest News about a delay in the commencement of construction on N5 from Castlebar to Westport.

Deputy Chambers expressed concern yesterday that the upgrade is not due to start until 2021 despite the local authority signalling they will be ready to start by 2019.

TII stated that they would be able to start construction sooner if money were made available.

Deputy Chambers called for Government intervention to push the project forward.

However, Minister Michael Ring has today responded to Deputy Chambers saying even if the local authority got the funding today for the project they would not be able to start it as it would have to go out to tender and is currently where they are at.

Minister Ring says Fianna Fail should be ashamed of themselves to talk about the N5 because he says back in 1994-1997 when Fine Gael were in power the N5 project was ready for off.

He says he is afraid that if Fianna Fáil get back in to Government that the N5 Project will be shelved again for another 20 years.