Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The Minister says he has no plans to extend the rail line to Navan. What will it take to change his mind and to start planning for a rail line to Navan? Has he not considered changing his plans in view of the recent EIS on the widening of the M50? It showed that the M50 will not work even if its width is doubled. Regardless of what super highway is provided, there will be gridlock at the junctions with roads from Navan. Did that not encourage the Minister to change his plans and consider the alternative of providing a rail line which does not get stuck at the M50?

If the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government decided it was not a clever idea to run a motorway through an area of such important archeological and historical interest as the Tara-Skryne valley and decided not to proceed with the project, would that prompt the Minister for Transport to question and change his current plans and consider planning a rail link to Navan? That would provide the connectivity in public transport solutions to which the Minister refers.

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