James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is great. I have noticed that the Dublin Commuter Coalition has run a strong social media operation and it is brilliant to see the engagement the coalition has on it. I follow it and am a big fan. I would love to meet representatives of the coalition privately after this meeting or at some stage if they have time available.

There is a huge problem in Dublin if you want to get to and from your place of work or go to Dublin to shop. When it comes to deciding whether to drive or avail of public transport, the existing palette of options either takes significantly longer or are not a nice user experience. Obviously it is grand if one lives in a town that has good infrastructure such as rail infrastructure. Recently I talked to a colleague of mine, the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, from County Meath and learned that the Government is looking to significantly invest in rail infrastructure in that part of Ireland and he is working quite hard on that. However, there are parts of counties Kildare and Wicklow that are not serviced by current rail lines so many commuters must choose the car. We need to see proactive action to address the situation and the coalition is key in that work.

We, from a cross-political point of view, must support a really exciting piece of legislative work that will tidy up the planning process related to the development of infrastructure. For example, for new rail infrastructure we rely on old legislation such as the rail order. There are also significant issues with longevity and how long the process will take. Will the Dublin Commuter Coalition seek a hearing with the Minister for Transport on the review being done by the Attorney General through the Department of Transport and the Minister? I encourage the coalition to meet the Minister, as it would help the process.