Ms Deirdre Hanlon:

Some €140 million is going in every year in PSO subsidies to the heavy rail network for the services Irish Rail provides and to try to enhance them. The Cork transport strategy, for example, refers to intensification of services and to additional infrastructure.

The Senator mentioned old lines. CIÉ has specific legal obligations that stem from the legislation that applies to it. There are a couple of categories of lines. CIÉ is required to keep disused lines to a certain standard. Abandoned lines are the ones that could be used for alternative purposes. Greenways are the most obvious example. Where alternative uses can be explored, alternative infrastructure can be provided, in addition to a different amenity for people in areas where there used to be a railway a long time ago.