Positive development yesterday with the confirmation by An Taoiseach Brian Cowen TD at the North South Ministerial Council that E9 million is being released for the A5 and A8 roads.  Well, positive in respect of the A6 anyway.

Taxpayers in Donegal and elsewhere in the South can’t be happy that the Irish government is making severe cutbacks but is paying for a road from Belfast to Larne.  Whatever about its profligacy in the boom years, it can hardly be justified now. Unlike the A5 road which links Donegal to the east coast, this has little advantage to southern taxpayers.

It would be too much to expect the DUP Cats Who Got The Cream yesterday to give credit to North/South cooperation, rather than arguing the downturn is a reason for union with Britain.  And we didn’t notice Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness claiming responsibility in from of Cowen for the A5 road project, as Sinn Fein did in the Southern elections.  No doubt because he would have looked been shown out to be a liar in front of the paymasters if he had.