Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy for raising this very important issue. He has asked me to address the report on the future of the rail network, which I intend to do. The rail review report was undertaken jointly by the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Iarnród Éireann and published in 2016. The NTA then held a public consultation on the published review. The purpose of the review was to look at the existing rail network, identify the funding required both to maintain the network and provide for necessary capital works, and to consider the gap in funding in that regard. The review also examined the potential of the rail network to meet the economic, environmental and social needs of the State in the future and discussed the importance of maintaining a rail network to support strategic sustainable growth in travel demand. The review highlighted the considerable amount of taxpayer support currently provided to the rail network and provided an overview of the estimated additional funding required to support the network over the period 2016 to 2021. While the review identified a funding gap for Irish Rail, which stood at approximately €100 million per annum at the time of publication, I am glad to note that since the report was published, the Government has announced significant additional funding for rail infrastructure and services. As such, the funding requirement is being addressed.

Deputies will be aware that the Government and the taxpayer provide huge levels of support for public transport. Between 2008 and 2016, over €5 billion was made available to the three CIÉ companies across the public service obligation, PSO, and capital investment programmes. Of this, Iarnród Éireann received over €3.7 billion, or nearly 75% of the total Exchequer funding provided in the period. I have previously spoken to Members about how we are increasing our spending on public transport services. The PSO subvention increased in 2016 and 2017 and is increasing further this year. Over the three years, the PSO subvention will have increased by approximately 35% in total. In budget 2017 alone, we allocated over €50 million in additional funding to Irish Rail to bring total funding for that year to over €300 million. This significant increase allowed for greater investment in the maintenance and renewal of the network and rolling stock and provided more money for safety projects.

On the capital side, we announced €2.7 billion of Exchequer investment in budget 2018 to invest in public transport infrastructure and facilities over the next four years. The new national development plan will be published shortly and is a ten-year capital plan that will prioritise key investment actions to protect the quality and value of the existing extensive transport networks and to progress new key capital public transport programmes over the period to 2027.

The public consultation process held by the NTA following the publication of the review helped to begin an informed discussion on the current and future role of rail transport in Ireland. Over 300 submission were received in response to that consultation process. The NTA has prepared a report of those submissions, which it is currently updating to reflect the additional funding made available for rail infrastructure and services in budget 2018. Once I have received and reviewed the NTA's updated report on the consultation process, I intend to bring it to Government for consideration.

As I have said previously, I have no plan regarding the closure of any part of the rail network. The Taoiseach also gave assurances in the Dáil yesterday that there are no plans in that regard. To conclude, the role and potential of rail is linked intrinsically to where people live, work and wish to travel. These very issues form the core of the Government's national planning framework, which is being finalised. The new national planning framework will form an important context for the consideration of issues raised by the rail review report and for any recommendations I may bring to Government in due course.

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