PLANS for a bridge between Ireland and Scotland have been branded a “fantasy” by a leading Unionist politician.
Steve Aiken, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has said Northern Ireland’s energy grid, waste water systems and public transport were far more in need of significant investment.
Last year, The National revealed plans by Professor Alan Dunlop for a crossing over the Irish Sea.
Experts say a 25-mile crossing between Portpatrick in Dumfries and Galloway and Larne in County Antrim would cost between £15bn and £30bn. The Queensferry Crossing cost £1.35 billion.
It’s been backed by the DUP, and Boris Johnson has also said he is an “enthusiast” for what he called the “Celtic crossing”.
Speaking at a hustings at the Belfast Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Aiken said: “Our grid system is collapsing, we need to reinvest in the grid, we need to look significantly at how we look at the renewable fixed market for energy, we need to actually have an energy strategy that works.
“This morning, I don’t know how many people come down the M2 motorway and ask the question: where is the York Street interchange? How many people try to go to Belfast International Airport and get stuck behind a tractor? How many people come in on the train in the morning and wonder why there isn’t enough carriages?
“We have got some political parties here who want to do feasibility studies on building a fantasy bridge to Scotland which is going to cost the best part of £30 billion or putting in a high voltage DC cable all the way to Iceland, conveniently missing Scotland in the middle.
“These are fantasy projects. The billions that could be invested in that, if we had even half of that in a long term investment fund to Northern Ireland to spend the money on what we need – an updated road infrastructure, a new energy grid system, to make sure we sort out issues with water, especially waste water.”
A senior Scottish government source has described the latest bridge proposal as “pie in the sky”.
Prof Dunlop said the problems would not be insurmountable: “We do have incredibly talented architects and engineers,” he said.
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