Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Following on from Senator Kyne's request for a debate on public transport, I noted in our emails this morning an update from Irish Rail. The details in the update are very welcome. It is great that in the first couple of months of the year, 10.8 million people travelled by train in this country, up 13% on the same period last year. It is great news in terms of the Foynes to Limerick city line, which has not been open in 25 years. The developments there are very welcome. What is most concerning is the piece in the update about the intercity line from Limerick to Galway, specifically at Ballycar on the line from Limerick to Ennis. It is deemed now, according to the update, that in 2020 the cost of rectifying this issue was €16.5 million. I would suspect with construction inflation it is probably now more like €20 million. We are investing in extra lines, extra routes and extra rail lines, yet there is an intercity rail line that was closed for a month, from 24 March until 20 April, because of flooding. The €20 million will have to be found. Some Department is going to have to lead on it. Some Minister is going to have to put their hand up and take responsibility, whether it is environment, the OPW or transport, or a combination of all with one Minister leading.It has to be resolved. We cannot have a situation where it is a bus service for a month. A month was actually quite good this year because the last time it was closer to a number of months and we were just lucky that it was not closed for a number of months again.

The numbers of people who are travelling from Limerick to Ennis and Ennis to Limerick are increasing exponentially on that rail line. They deserve the same service as people travelling from Limerick to Dublin or from Dublin to Cork. They deserve to travel in the knowledge that if they do buy a yearly ticket they will be travelling by train not by bus, and that they will get to their destinations on time.

As part of the debate here and also as a supplementary point perhaps the Leader, Senator Chambers, will write to the various Ministers and ask which of them will put their hand up and take responsibility.