Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his opening statement. My colleague in Louth, Deputy Declan Breathnach, unearthed information by means of a parliamentary question that since the Fresh Start agreement was signed, the Irish Government, which had committed extra resources to developing cross-Border rail services, does not appear to have made the investment that had been agreed. When we asked the aforementioned Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for figures on investment, he listed the refurbishment of the Enterprise service trains and the maintenance of the Drogheda viaduct as major investments. Mr. Hazzard will be aware that the Enterprise refurbishment project was announced and partially completed before the Fresh Start agreement was signed and I am sure he will agree that the refurbishment of the Drogheda viaduct was a basic issue of public safety. Yesterday, the Irish Newsreported the figures for delays in the train service. They were staggering and showed that there had been more than 1,700 individual delays in a fortnight. The rail link between Dublin and Belfast has been referred to by some other groups that have made presentations on the investment required to shorten the journey time between the two cities. We know the complexities we have to deal with here in terms of the Minister and his Administration. What is Mr. Hazzard doing within his brief to try to address these issues?