DUP says Sinn Féin avoiding 'own failures' after A5 Plantation comments

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has accused Sinn Féin of trying to "avoid responsibility for its own failures" after former MP Francie Molloy suggested delays to the A5 upgrade could be linked to landowner opposition rooted in the Plantation of Ulster.

The 58-mile (94km) road upgrade project had originally been given the go-ahead by Stormont ministers in October 2024, however it has been repeatedly delayed due to court proceedings.

On Wednesday evening, a party spokesperson told BBC News NI that Francie Molloy "does not represent" Sinn Féin.

Earlier, DUP MLA Tom Buchanan said the A5 "has not been delayed because of events in 1609".

The Plantation of Ulster began in the 17th Century when English and Scottish Protestants settled on land confiscated from the Gaelic Irish.

"Reaching back more than 400 years to explain Sinn Féin's inability to deliver a road in 2026 is the hallmark of a party that is increasingly divorced from reality and becoming ever more ridiculous in its attempts to blame others," Buchanan said in a statement.

"The reasons for the delays are multifaceted, but the Plantation is not one of them," Buchanan said.

The DUP MLA for West Tyrone issued his statement after former Sinn Féin MP Francie Molloy was earlier questioned on the party's delivery of the A5 upgrade.

Molloy was asked on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show if Sinn Féin's base feel like the party is delivering. Presenter Stephen Nolan noted that it "hasn't delivered the A5" and it "hasn't delivered Casement Park".

"Yeah it hasn't and that a regrettable situation and I think the responsibility, again, not just on the British government but on the other parties to ensure that those structures are put in place," Molloy said.

He went on to say that the issue "all goes back to the plantation of Ulster".

Political commentator and writer Newton Emerson responded and said this claim was "outrageous".

Buchanan said in his statement that "many farmers were denied access to their property without receiving a penny in compensation or even an outline offer".

"The department's approach to compulsory purchase and vesting has been appallingly poor. Landowners are entitled to exercise their legal rights without being attacked or having their ownership linked to events four centuries ago," he said.

"People in West Tyrone want the A5 delivered, not another Sinn Féin excuse."

TUV leader Jim Allister also issued a statement on Wednesday responding to Molloy's comments.

He said that there is a "deeply troubling element to what Francie Molloy came out with".

The A5 is a vital artery of the Northern Ireland road network. More than 58 miles (94km) long, it has more than 200 side roads connecting to it.

The road is single carriageway for most of its length, with overtaking lanes in some sections.

It links Londonderry with Aughnacloy in County Tyrone and passes through towns like Sion Mills, Omagh and Strabane.

It is the main north-south route in the west of Northern Ireland, providing a link between County Donegal and Dublin, via the N2 in County Monaghan.

The dual carriageway scheme was first announced back in 2007, but has been hit by a number of delays.

More than 50 people have died on the road since 2006 and there has been a long campaign to upgrade it.