Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I understand CIE intends to divest itself of freight facilities and yards at both Limerick and Cork but I hope the Minister can stop that. While I accept it is difficult to compare head to head with road transport, there are externalities that operate and I believe road transport will become increasingly expensive. One container is the equivalent of 18 heavy goods vehicles on our roads. There is an enormous cost to all of us in switching from the container to the heavy goods vehicles. I ask the Minister to ensure that, at the very minimum, CIE does not divest itself of any of the infrastructure or lands currently in use or previously used for freight so as to ensure that in the near future, when I believe this method will become cost efficient, it will be available to us.

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