Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have always been of the view that the subject matter we are discussing should not be divisive. We should all be doing this together. We are running a national greenway from Dublin to Galway and the route selection for Athlone to Galway is coming towards the end of its tether. The ambition for north Galway - Tuam, Athenry and so on - is to get a connection to the national greenway so it becomes relevant in the overall greenway strategy.

We also need to do the same with the rail network. As someone living in Tuam, I want to see it on the national rail network. There are obvious reasons for that. I also want Foynes opened up and rail going out there. I want an island where we can use all that potential to create regional development. We should not even be having this discussion. There are plenty of ways of delivering greenways, including complementary to a railway track, wherever that is. I was delighted to hear Mr. Mulligan say we should be delivering these things in tandem. We should all be working together. Our common purposes should be to deliver the infrastructure that is required in this region and all the other regions. There has been a debate for a number of years about a railway or greenway from Claremorris to Athenry. It is not something we should even be talking about. We should be discussing how to connect the region to the national rail network and the national greenway network. That is simply the way we should be doing it. I welcome the Chairman's statement that he sees how it can be done. We can do it in tandem and not spend money now that we will have to throw out in five or ten years if another decision is made.

Last Monday, I heard the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine talking about getting farmers to grow barley, oats and wheat. Some 20 or 30 years ago, we threw out the sugar beet industry and got rid of all the tillage in the region. Now we are trying to reinvent it. The ploughs and harrows that tilled that land have been rotting in ditches the last 30 years. We do not want the same thing to happen again by making decisions at a high level that do not take into account what the future might hold for us.

I am very taken by the approach today. I thank the Chairman for the time and I welcome everyone who has contributed. I am sorry I was not here for the whole meeting. We have to take a common-sense approach to all of this. We have to spend less time trying to outdo one another and more time putting things together so we can create all of what we need and are entitled to in the region. The west of Ireland has been designated by the European Union as being in transition, meaning we are not investing enough money or infrastructure in this region. We have an opportunity to do this, and to do it together. I hope today is a watershed moment for working together rather than trying to outdo one another.