Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

One of our senior policy people lives in the Dún Laoghaire area. I am constantly telling her that Dún Laoghaire is not an example of what is happening in the rest of the country. My concern is that those who are first up and best dressed will leave areas behind.

I have previously raised my concern about fares. We need to tackle the issue. Fares are an impediment. My colleague, Deputy Gould, made the point very well last week that a return trip on the train from Cork to Dublin costs in excess of €200 for a family. That is a huge impediment. I live in the commuter belt. In Gormanston and Laytown, we have the 90-minute ticket for the Dublin area but it costs in excess of €20 for a return ticket from areas five minutes farther out the road. While some people are driving to Balbriggan to get the train, more often than not they are staying in the car. Therefore, we need to investigate how fares serve as a barrier to access.

I appreciate the approach and opportunities in our major urban areas, but we need to see Connecting Ireland. From the Opposition benches, we are supporting it. I am encouraging my constituents to engage with it, but it should not be five years away. If it is not delivered sooner, people will lose heart and faith.