Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Does the Minister ever examine the rail timetables? I have the new timetable before me, effective from November. It is quite clear there has been a significant deterioration in services. I am informed by Rail Users Ireland that the service between Dublin and Drogheda has been especially badly hit. The services from Dublin to Limerick and Dublin to Cork are also badly hit. The journey times are considerably longer. I am informed that during the 1940s the trip from Nenagh to Limerick took approximately 40 minutes but it now takes 62 minutes. In general terms, there appears to have been a significant deterioration. The number of trains in the southside DART network during rush hour has been reduced and the northside network is also a good deal slower. There is a litany of deterioration throughout the country. I refer to the constituency of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. The trip from Rosslare to Galway requires four changes, which is ridiculous. The rush-hour train service on the Sligo to Dublin line has deteriorated. This timetable shows a litany of deterioration in services for commuters and rail passengers.

Is it not the case that the real author of this timetable is the Minister, Deputy Dempsey? The Minister slashed the PSO by €6 million last year. I presume it will be slashed again this evening, although I hope not. The Minister referred to the PSO but Irish Rail has always had a subsidy of between 42% to 45%, dating back to the period to which the Minister referred, namely,1997. Is the Minister not giving the rail users of Ireland a worse service, despite the fact that only some months ago he stated he sought to get half a million people out of their cars and onto the trains?

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