Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Meade for his contribution and the work he and all the staff across the whole network do.

Starting locally, on 10 December Iarnród Éireann announced increases to services across the country. Unfortunately, living in the north west, we did not seem to get any such increases. The Sligo-Dublin line did not get any additional services or investment. I would like an explanation. What plans are there to set that particular discrepancy right?

I would also like to get some more information on the plans for the development of the western rail corridor.

It is welcome that the Athenry to Claremorris part of it is in progress. The next part of that is up to Collooney. People in my constituency and, indeed, the entire north west are determined for that to happen as quickly as possible. I hope Iarnród Éireann shares that determination, not as something that is pie in the sky but to ensure that infrastructure will be sterilised, cannot be used for anything else and is put in place to put rail on it as fast as we can.

Mr. Meade mentioned a lot of the investment that is happening. He stated that in some cases there is double-tracking and pointed out where issues are to be resolved. I hope there are other areas where that can be expanded, with more work done in respect of that.

We really need to look at the issue in Dublin Airport. It is the main international airport in the country, and while metro is something we absolutely need and should be happening as quickly as possible, I am interested to know whether there are any plans or any possibility for a DART line that would go there, which would happen much faster than metro. Even if we started metro tomorrow, it would probably be seven, eight or ten years before it would happen. Is there an alternative whereby we could put a rail out there-----