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

We will go to the second round now because we have time. I might just ask about the strategic rail review. I know it is only at draft stage; hopefully it will be published soon now that the Northern Ireland Executive is up and running. On its backing with the national development plan, there are discussions around the more near-term infrastructural projects in the NDP. That spending envelope seems to be a major constraint on accelerating the roll-out of the strategic rail review. It is a plan that will take us to the middle of the century but if we really want to decarbonise, we should front load a lot of those projects, notwithstanding the costs and the challenges. I would be interested to hear the Minister's views.

Included in the strategic rail review are much higher frequency and faster trains between our cities, picking up a lot of settlements between our larger cities also. In the absence of Senator Pauline O'Reilly, who sends her apologies, she would be one of the stronger advocates for a western rail corridor right up the western seaboard. I know that is not fully supported by the strategic rail review. It is supported as far as Claremorris. If we are to have ambition as a nation, we need to be thinking about that scale of project because this infrastructure will last centuries. In that regard, your support for the western rail corridor as far as Claremorris is welcomed widely. It could be a key part to the resolution of a lot of Galway's transport woes, together with twin-tracking the line between Galway, Oranmore and Athenry and installing passing loops where appropriate as well. In the context of the national development plan and the funding envelope to really drive the strategic rail review, can you outline how you think that needs to change?