Real Realist - you make a valid point. I used to live in the west and travel to Belfast from time to time on a variety of buses, changing in Sligo and Enniskillen. I guess the issue should first be to ensure adequate links to Dublin and then between other major cities. The Galway/Mayo/Sligo - Belfast route could be improved in parts, especially around you in the Leitrim/Fermanagh area, I agree. On the other hand, with limited funds, it is not as important on a national scale as facilitating ease of access from Derry and north Donegal to Dublin (especially when that comes with the added benefit of improving links from Donegal to Belfast through Omagh). The number of cars and lorries expected to use the routes must, unfortunately at times, guide the choice of priorities.

so the rest of the country was given state of the art roads over the last 20 years well Realist in England were are these state of the art roads in Fermanagh? youve been away 20 years too long to really know what happening in NI. The likes of roads approaching Enniskillen needs a bye pass pronto not in 10 or 20 years time, theres no railway in Fermanagh so the road is the only means of travel and sometimes traffic is so bad the A4 route into Enniskillen is like a car park

John, I'm sorry but I do not fully understand your comment but I do take issue with your claim that I do not know what I am talking about. I would not expect compensation to be as high in most of Ulster (or most of Connacht, Munster or Leinster) as it is in England. The obvious reason is that, like for like, land tends to be cheaper in Ireland. Whilst I stand by my use of 'adequate', I could have said 'fair'. The road improvements are not all in Tyrone as far as I know, but that would be the bit I would use most as my mummy lives in northern Donegal and that is the shortest route from Dublin. In terms of time and comfort, the N2/A5 route can be so bad that I have chosen on occasion to drive to Belfast and then right across Ulster simply to avoid it. The M1, together with major improvements on the road from Dundalk to up past Newry have made that route more attractive, if somewhat longer, from Dublin airport. The Free State didn't only have the M1 built over the past decade or so, however. We now have something approaching a modern motorway network together with new and improved N roads all over the place. Even less economically important places like Donegal have some amazing N roads. Those roads do not directly connect us to the capital, however. We have reasonable roads to Belfast (via Derry), although they could be improved too. One of the two available routes involves going through Omagh, so the A5 improvements could also help people get to and from Belfast too. Whatever your political viewpoint, Dublin is the major city on the island. Many businesses in Tyrone, Derry, Donegal, etc. will all need to send people down to the capital from time to time. Produce coming into Ireland doesn't all arrive in Larne or Belfast - the ports in county Dublin bring stuff into Ireland for distribution across the country, including the north west. Likewise Rosslare and Cork, with their links to the mainland Europe and beyond. If bad roads cost hauliers more in time and petrol, then that is ultimately going to reflect in higher prices for imported goods from Britain and elsewhere. Some of your Tyrone farmers may even want to transport or export their produce using the road. A relatively small number of farmers will be adversely affected but all can potentially benefit from the improved transport links. This isn't just a case of selfish drivers wanting ease of access to and from the capital - investment in road infrastructure brings long-term economic benefits as well as short term benefits in terms of a surge in employment due to building the roads. Roads cost money but a lot of that is returned in income tax, additional spending in the local economy, etc. Road infrastructure is probably even more important to Ireland than elsewhere as our rail network is truly abysmal and the only realistic option for moving freight around the country is by road. I suggest that you open your mind and look at the bigger picture before unfairly accusing others of being in some way uninformed.

Mr Realist in England. Obviously you are a blow into mainland UK when you take an interest. Compensation rates are not at UK level not even England were you live. The judicial review will show how BIG BROTHER thought that he could walk over the small person with flawed thoughts for UK and EUropean law. IN 2002 all was agreed for an upgrade with farmers land agreed etc so do a wee bit of research before commenting on something which will destroy something which provides about 70% of employment in Tyrone I.e Agriculture

This all happened before with other roads that we now take for granted. We get angry when we face traffic jams but just imagine what the place would be like if we didn't have our major intercity roads. Towns and villages would become crammed with cars and lorries, negatively affecting local people as well as slowing down those who want to commute between cities. Now stop imagining - the scenario I painted is reality along the length of the A5/N2. Whereas the rest of the country was given state of the art roads over the past 20 years, the north west was left behind. I assume that the compensation is adequate and people could take it and move if they wanted to. Things like this are bitterly sad for some individuals but their complaints won't even make a footnote in the history books. The road is needed to provide Derry and Letterkenny with something approaching the kind of links to Dublin that were provided for all of our other large towns and cities. The greater good must prevail.