Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

By EU agreement and under law, the market is being deregulated. In 2006, the international services carriages will be deregulated, and from 2007, the Irish market will be deregulated. A significant player has already indicated that it is interested in entering the Irish market, which I welcome. My role is as a regulator. I would not like to have that role in the future, whereas Iarnród Éireann has control of the access to the hard infrastructure. This must be and is being worked out well in advance of deregulation.

I would be pleased to see an increasing amount of goods off roads and being transported on rail. However, it is not as simple as it is presented and international experience confirms this.

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