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

I thank the witnesses for their submission and the detailed account. We all recognise that rail lines around the country have been used, in many cases, in a positive way for greenways. Indeed, placing them along canals and other level pathways is the secret to it. That is what rail lines offer. I disagree that the rail line will never happen. I believe a railway can and will happen. I believe the political will is there to do it. It can be done. I believe, when it is built, that people will use it. That has been the experience everywhere when new rail lines have been opened. I accept we have to understand that the past was a bad place with regard to leaving assets like the rail line lying idle. It was unfortunate that happened. It happened all over the place. Many of the old rail lines were left idle and people built sheds and all sorts of things on them. Now they cannot be used again. That is a tragedy of the past that we certainly do not want to repeat. I do not think we will repeat that here.

I support the idea of a greenway. However, I do not support the idea of a greenway where it is going to block the prospect of a railway. The railway line is there to be used as a rail line. That is what we need to focus on. I certainly support putting the greenway alongside the rail line, as was pointed out in some of the slides. That is certainly an option we should look at and use. I fully understand the commitment and passion the witnesses have for what they are trying to do. However, I also understand there is similar passion and a public need to restore our railways and get them up and running again. That is not harking back to some nostalgic past. It is looking to the future. Everyone we talk to, when we talk about climate change and so on, talks about alternative means of transport. They talk about public transport, and rail will be key to that - in particular light and electric rail. We have a space here to do both. That is what we need to do and to see happen. In that context I have no issue with the proposal to have a greenway. However, I have an issue if people believe that the proposal for the greenway is in the context of the railway not proceeding. I think the railway will happen quite quickly. That is what I want to see happen. I want to see both a greenway and a railway, and I think the majority of us share the ambition to see both. It should not be either-or. The witnesses have said that in their submission. Putting the greenway on top of the existing rail line would, for many people, prevent the railway from happening. We do not want that. It would be useful if the witnesses were to clarify that they are supportive of seeing the western rail corridor open up as a prospect.