Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests today and thank them for their informative and interesting presentations. One cannot but be struck by their commitment to rail and the contribution it can make to travel in Ireland. I especially welcome the representatives of the North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership. I work with them and I understand where they are coming from. Were it not for their efforts, which have been magnificent in recent years, we would not have a rail line open between Ballybrophy and Limerick. The Minister has said he is committed to that rail line. He has been very forthright in his policy initiatives in terms of bringing rail on line and making rail more accessible to more people. We can only do that by investment. I am surprised to see Iarnród Éireann's strategy to 2027 making no commitment to improve regional rural services, and from comments heard from the National Transport Authority, NTA, it appears that both of those organisations are out of step with the Minister. It is important they catch up and realise that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve our rail network. The Minister and the Government are committed. In the history of our country we have never designated so much funding for the improvement of our rail network. We must take advantage of that now.

The Limerick to Ballybrophy line is a serious problem. We have made progress but it has been very slow and meagre. There is a lack of frequency in the service on the line. There is a poor timetable which is not aligned for work times. There are painstakingly slow speeds on the line. Motorised cycles would actually travel faster than the trains on that line. The carriages are old and the comfort leaves a lot to be desired. In my view, people will travel on rail lines if the timetable and frequency are available. Nenagh to Ballybrophy is a typical example. I live in Thurles, which has a fantastic rail service on the Cork-Dublin line. Every week, hundreds of people travel a very bad road from Nenagh to Thurles to avail of the timetables from Thurles. There is a need there. People are looking for a service. If they are provided with a service, they will use it. Iarnród Éireann says it is lightly used. Of course, it is lightly used. That is because of its neglect of the line for so many years. If we invest, we will get a return. As well as getting a return, it will also improve and enhance rural communities. It will bring people into rural communities to live and to work. It should be part of our regional development plan. It removes cars from the roads, avoids pollution and, above all, it avoids huge delays entering our towns and cities.

I would like to hear more from the North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership about the commuter service it is proposing between Nenagh and Limerick. This is very much needed. Limerick is a university city and Nenagh is effectively a satellite town. A massive number of people are moving between the two areas. On the outskirts of Limerick there is a big catchment in the areas that have been pointed out. Chairman, I will be proposing and encouraging my colleagues on this committee to have a submission on behalf of this rail line included in our report to the Department and the Minister. I hope to see the inclusion of a request for funding in the 2023 public service obligation, PSO, budget for additional services on the line.

I wish to make another comment. We have an issue with our crossings. The only way to improve the speeds is to improve the line and then to remove as many of the crossings as possible. They slow down the transit of the train. With regard to farm crossings, the committee should request the various county managers to give priority to these planning applications. I am dealing with a number of farm crossings and it is very slow and difficult. There is too much bureaucracy involved in getting permission for Iarnród Éireann to install an undercrossing to assist farmers with their animals.

The contributions that have been made at this meeting are excellent. I firmly believe we are way behind when it comes to connectivity from Dublin Airport to the city. As has been pointed out, we need to catch up. I will give the rest of my time to the representatives of the North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership if they wish to respond or, perhaps, prioritise what their requests are for the current year.