Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

In reply to Deputy Sargent, we are committed to infrastructure in the west, whether that involves road or rail, but the projects must be viable. It is one thing to construct rail lines but they must be viable. Rail is already a huge loss-maker, which one must accept because it is a good transport system. I am not aware of the example to which the Deputy referred but one cannot construct such lines unless there is at least a reasonable flow, otherwise they would become very costly. However, where there is a reasonable flow that is a different matter.

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