The Irish Republic's Oireachtas Transport Committee is to hold public hearings next month into a contentious cross-border road construction project.

The route would be Ireland's longest new road, replacing much of the N2 in the Irish Republic and the A5 in Northern Ireland and would be part-financed by €500m which the Dáil Government agreed to provide to NI under the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.

Irish Deputy, Joe Costello, who is Labour's Transport Spokesman, met a coalition of anti-motorway and pro-heritage groups from both sides of the Border in Leinster House this week and then pressured the national parliament - the Oireachtas - for the hearings.

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The news comes as public consultation was already under way on three sections of the route - the Slane bypass, the Monaghan bypass and the A5 in Northern Ireland - which are being opposed by Save Newgrange, Don't Bypass the Bypass and the Alternative A5 Alliance respectively.

However, despite contractors having already been signed up, later political developments have cast doubt on a promise made by the Dáil Government to give so much money £400m (€500m) to the Stormont Executive to upgrade the A5/M2, Dublin to Londonderry Road as part of an £850m scheme.

Mr Costello has now reiterated that Irish Labour would draft a new national development plan if it entered government after the coming election and every current infrastructure project would be reviewed, "no matter what stage of planning it is at".

See: A5 Road Scheme Protest Redundant?

(BMcC/GK)