Ms Clare McGrath:

Consequential to the operational closure of a station, the policy is to see if other State agencies may use the site. This has arisen in the past - although it may not be under the present programme - with Finglas and Whitehall where there were other State uses. We would then pursue that with a public body. That would be the initial decision regarding a station closure.

The second course of action - although it is a very depressed market - is if there was a market, we would consider whether a site may be suitable for disposal. The Deputy referred to 20 stations. We have yet to decide how we will bring them to the market but we will be examining it over the summer.

In other cases where we would not see the first two actions happening, we have asked, as has the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, if there are community uses for this site. We would require that there would be a legal entity that we could engage with for the purposes of licensing the use of the station for such activity. The entity would have to be in a position to take that licence, maintain the property, insure it and be able to undertake planning permission, if required. That is the policy around the stations that are being closed.

I will have to come back to the committee about the stations we have identified for disposal.