Mr. Glenn Carr:

We have set out our rail freight strategy. One of the key parts of the infrastructure needed is inland intermodal hubs. This is where, as the Deputy said, a great deal of product might be taken out of Dublin Port but 80% of that is for a certain location. They key is to build a facility, such as that built around the M50, which is unfortunately just road connected, and we replicate that, as we see all over Europe where product is consolidated. That is where the rail does the heavy moving. It takes it from the port to the inland intermodal hub from which shorter distances are then provided by the HGVs. That is the model. We do not have that structure in Ireland. Our plan is to develop at least three of those intermodal hubs.

We have been talking to some of the biggest freight forwarders in Europe who say this makes sense. We have been talking to large industries, such as the dairy industry, which have, for the first time ever, come together with us and shared their data. They are all in competition but, equally, they recognise the fact that the real issue facing them is how to move product sustainably. For example, one of the key performance targets of a major employer in the west of Ireland, which is currently at the bottom of the league in Europe, is its sustainable supply chain. It moves nothing by rail. That will affect decisions made outside of Ireland, in Europe and America, about future development at that site. That is a real concern for that company. We are working with it. Its ambition is to move two trains a day out of that site either to Dublin or to Waterford Port. We have to make sure we have the connections at the seaports. That is essential. Then we have to build strategically located intermodal hubs that can take 60% or 70% or more of consolidated products. We are not talking about rail going after every single truck.

By the way, the truck and haulage industry has an incredible role to play here as well. Think of the inefficiencies of somebody travelling 120 km as against travelling 20 km. That truck can get in ten or 20 shunts or whatever. Again, in terms of technology or electrification of trucks, that is a long way off. I am involved in the road transport industry also in another business we have. I believe that the best we will see in the short term is what Diageo has recently done. It has an electric truck that takes the kegs down the quays from the site beside Heuston Station to Dublin Port. I do not think we are going to see electric trucks doing 90 km or 100 km.