Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Ms Considine is saying this is all-island and that it includes Northern Ireland. That is absolutely perfect, but if the whole of Northern Ireland, or the whole of Dublin or Galway, were exempted from it, there would be an outcry. From Cork, there are 135 km of roadway to Ardgroom and 125 km to Mizen Head, but there is no rail. There is no way we can wait until 2035. We may all be pushing up the daisies at that stage. We need to look at what other means of transport Iarnród Éireann can put together for people in those areas. Why is there not bus transport every morning from those areas direct to the train station? It might only be once a day or whatever, but at least it would be a move in the right direction that people from all over the country are recognised by Irish Rail as being valuable people to it.

Senator Joanne Collins said something about the amount of time involved. I would like to use the train, but by the time I use it, it is two and a half hours, so I may as well keep driving to Dublin. It is not just for me; it is for everybody who lives in west Cork, which does not have rail but which did have it. We had rail in poor times in 1850, when nobody had money in their pockets. We had a rail line to Schull. In 2025, we cannot even contemplate it. We may be able to do so in 2035. Iarnród Éireann has to compensate for that. I ask its representatives to go back and say that while there is no have rail, there will be bus connectivity to rail. At least there will be a signpost there and a recognition that rail exists for the people in an area for which Irish Rail is not delivering at this time. That is at least something that could be given to people. There could be some kind of connectivity that is not there at present.