Mr. Hassard Stacpoole:

The danger is it creates additional cost. For example, the greenway to Youghal at the moment is being developed from Midleton to Youghal which is about 18 miles, and the figure being spent on that is €15 million just to convert it to a greenway. This will be done under licence from Irish Rail but the long-term aspiration is to restore the railway. The potential problem is that if the case arises to reopen the railway, for example, you are going to have to remove that greenway, restore the railway, which will cost, for argument's sake, €45 million to €50 million to put even a basic rail infrastructure back, and then you potentially will have to buy land to relocate that greenway. You are almost getting a cost and a half, and that is the danger.

That is why Irish Rail have said in Limerick, as the Chairman will know well, that the Foynes route is a key corridor, and while I tried many years ago, as a teenage boy, to get the railway on which the Great Southern Trail greenway is located retained, and while the right use for it now is actually as a greenway and it is a great success for west Limerick, the proposed extension of the greenway back into Limerick city will not be on the railway line because it is recognised that the line is needed. We have to be realistic here. Senator Kyne referred to the Waterford Greenway which is a fantastic asset. I have been on it myself and there is a short little heritage railway on part of it. Realistically, it is probably not going to be restored as a railway line. The same can be said about the railway line to New Ross that has just been handed over by licence. It is probably not going to be reopened.

There is certainly a case for a freight railway from Athenry to Tuam and on to Claremorris. Part of the problem, which is always ignored, is that the policy until now, or to about a year or two ago since this Government came to power, has been that rail freight does not have a future. It was alluded to earlier that we are hitting €2 a litre for fuel. It is going to go up in price and rail freight will become more attractive.

Every week a ship leaves Foynes loaded full of timber from around Tuam that is brought by road down to Limerick city to be put on a ship from Foynes and Limerick city for export. Some of it actually goes on to Waterford by ship, to go to the Coillte factory there.

Coming back to overall infrastructure and looking at the reopening of railways, Scotland is a very good model to look at to see what has happened there with reopening railways. The case is looked at over a 30-year model, and the business case is not just confined to passengers. Network Rail is working with Transport Scotland to open the Levenmouth line, which is just north of Edinburgh, and this project is happening. It is looked at in the long term. In Ireland, unfortunately, we look at this in the short term in terms of planning.