Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I ask members to indicate their desire to ask questions. I will lead off.

There was a lot in the Minister's statement that was very positive. I heard him use the term Limerick–Shannon. I have never heard that axis expressed by a Minister before. It is good because Limerick and Shannon are the two poles of a really important economic axis for the country, but they are also fundamental to the sustainable development of the country. As we move towards 2030 and 2040 and expect our population to grow, we must decouple emissions from population growth and economic growth. As I have done many times already, I make the case for the Limerick–Shannon axis in this regard. The strategy developed by the NTA for the region is very ambitious. A key aspect for the region, which is coupled with the growth aspect, is the opportunity to connect Shannon to the national rail network. That is in the draft strategic rail review and it is costed at between €100 million and €200 million, based on 2021 prices. As the Minister knows, there is a corridor preserved for the project. It should be accelerated, although it will be carried out eventually. If we are thinking about the decarbonisation of our island and balancing our economy on the island, it is critical.

You would not build it based on the current demand; you would build it based on demands you would like to see in the future, which means the sustainable demand for mobility in the region and, indeed, the growth of the region. I would like to hear the Minister's views on that possibility.

I want to commend the Minister on the progress that has been made on rural bus services. Again, my own part of the country has benefited hugely in the last few years, as I think all parts of the country have done. The Connecting Ireland programme is so exciting because it is no longer just a matter of providing transport in rural Ireland to people who do not have access to a car; it actually provides a level of service to people who do have access to a car, but the service is so good that it is better for them to take the bus for many journeys. In the last few years, there have been enhancements on various routes, such as Scariff-Killaloe-Clonlara into Limerick, Ballybunion-Askeaton into Limerick, Mitchelstown to Hospital, and Caherconlish into Limerick city. That is just a flavour of the new and enhanced routes that have been provided.

Regarding the feedback I get, I get more feedback about these bus routes than almost any other aspect of Government delivery. We need to do more of it. We need to move towards what the Swiss call the "every village, every hour" type of model, and we are well on the way to doing that. Fundamentally, if we want to displace car journeys, particularly across rural Ireland, this is the way to do it.