A5 Road, Co Tyrone: GAA President Jarlath Burns' description of route as 'a GAA road' fails to acknowledge people from all sections of community who have died on it, says DUP MLA
Some families whose loved ones have been killed on the A5 have felt “hurt” that GAA President Jarlath Burns described the route as “a GAA Road,” a DUP MLA has told the Assembly.
Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Deborah Erskine was speaking after Mr Burns made the comments outside Belfast's Court of Appeal last week.
Mr Burns said it is "a GAA road... because Tyrone's main GAA centre is on it".
He continued: "There have been so many lives lost. I think it is a responsibility on all of us to get this road upgraded."
He was speaking at a hearing for an application by landowners who are challenging the upgrade work.
The road sees a persistent number of fatal accidents and it is planned to vest land from 300 farms to upgrade the route, from Londonderry to Augnacloy in Co Tyrone.
Unionists initially expressed concern at Mr Burns’ comments last week.
Speaking in Assembly on Monday, Ms Erskine called on Mr Burns to retract his comments, saying that not all grieving A5 families felt included in them.
"It is important that respect is given to all,” she said. “I have written to Jarlath Burns to ask that he retracts his comments and recognises the hurt caused to families, some of whom I have spoken to in recent days, who feel that their loss was not reflected by the GAA president's comments.”
While some people are dismissing unionist concerns, “those who do so have little concept or understanding of the feeling on the ground," she said.
Ms Erskine told the House she had family members who live in the route.
"This is a reminder to all in the Assembly that road infrastructure projects are for everyone in Northern Ireland. I say that because, unfortunately, comments from the GAA president, Jarlath Burns, last week seemed to miss that point. He claimed that the A5 was 'a GAA road'.
"I can only imagine the outcry if the grand master of the Orange Order called it ‘an Orange road’.
"There are people who seek to dismiss those comments, but those who do so have little concept or understanding of the feeling on the ground.”
She added: “To classify a road as belonging to one section of the community is crass and does not take into account the fact that people from all sections of the community have lost their lives on the A5.
"Nor does it recognise that the funding was not won by the GAA, never mind the fact that the farmers and landowners who care for the land are trying to manage their own businesses and their future viability at this time.”
Describing Mr Burns’ comments as “ill founded and disgracefully tone-deaf” she said that taxpayers money pays for roads and that “no road can be claimed by a sole entity or person”.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson affirmed her initial concerns last week.
"Deborah is quite right," he said on X.
"What an appalling statement for him to make. Despite claiming the GAA isn't a political organisation, Jarlath Burns himself is quickly running out of road. He should retract his comment."
The GAA and Mr Burns have been invited to respond to the comments.