Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all of the contributors and thank them for their presentations.

I wish to focus on the presentation made by Mr. Meade and will be parochial for a moment. I am sure he is very familiar with County Clare. The county has a couple of outstanding rail projects that I would like to see advanced, and they have been in the offing for some time. We would see an extension of the western rail corridor as very beneficial to the Limerick, Ennis and onwards to Galway line that currently exists. Anything that would improve passenger numbers through that area would be beneficial to County Clare, and particularly Shannon Airport.

A number of years ago there was a proposal to include a rail stop at Crusheen train station. Please update us on that and consider increasing the number of stops, for example, at places like Cratloe in south-east Clare and, possibly, Meelick. That rail line is under-utilised when it heads into Limerick. There could be much greater use made of stations that facilitate the Limerick Institute of Technology and the University of Limerick. I would be interested in hearing about proposals that Irish Rail might have in that regard.

Mr. Meade will be aware that the rail line as it travels from Ennis to Limerick frequently experiences difficulties at Ballycar because of flooding. The Office of Public Works, OPW, and Irish Rail have conducted a number of studies on the issue and I ask for an update on that.

The spur into Shannon or a Shannon rail line is back on the agenda. I am sure that Mr. Meade was familiar with the line over the years. The late Seán Hillery, former councillor, put a lot of stock in the project as a councillor who represented the Shannon region a number of years ago. I have recently heard comment from the Minister, Deputy Ryan, that he is relooking at the project. I ask Mr. Meade to give the committee his perspective on the project.

In terms of the south-eastern part of County Clare, Killaloe and access to the Birdhill line, does Irish Rail propose to update the Ballybrophy line, increase services or make improvements?

Finally, disability access at Ennis train station is an ongoing issue. Mr. Meade did mention the potential for some lifts and I ask him to talk to us about that. I am more than happy with everything the other contributors said.