Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Doocey and Ms Hayes and thank them for their presentation. I will not rehash questions I have asked previously because, as Deputy Harkin said, it is the third time we have dealt with the western rail corridor. Anyhow, I have to go and catch a train to get home and I cannot stay here too long. I now leave my car at home an odd day and I use the train.

Wonderful things can be done with that western rail corridor but I tend to agree with the two previous speakers. I get the feeling there is a distance between two groups that should not be there. Maybe I am wrong on that but I have looked and I have read a lot on this. That should not be the way because there is good can come out of both of these situations.

I have looked, and we have the wording of the county plan from 2022 - 2028. Mr. Doocey states:

an existing barrier relating to a greenway route in this location stems from the commitment in the 2022 to 2028 Mayo County Development Plan, which commits, under MTO 9, that: The Western Rail Corridor (WRC) is protected and preserved for the delivery of Rail Infrastructure to develop the region and the corridor is completely removed from any feasibility study in relation to any proposed greenway.

I have dealt with many local authority issues in my time and the wording hits me as a total block. I could be wrong.

Realistically, we are all common-sense people here. This will not come onstream, if it does, for many years. In the meantime, is there not a grave danger that we will fall between two stools and that this line will fall into disrepair? If that happens, whatever option we go with, it will cost a great deal more to do. I understand from talking to some of the railway staff that if that had to go in, it would have to be moved off again in time; so be it. In the meantime, to preserve that and to allow the greenway to be open up, could not that be done and would that not make sense?