James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity to address the status of our railway lines and ports and the need to apply for EU funding for our railway lines by applying for special designation for the railways. This special designation is known as TEN-T status. TEN-T is an EU-supported transport programme that provides funding for designated transport networks including railways. I will focus on the Belfast to Rosslare railway line and Rosslare Europort. The railway runs parallel to the roadway, designated European route E01, which runs from Belfast to Rosslare Europort. It is a critical access way for goods and passengers to gain direct access to the Continent, to which I note Rosslare Europort is the closest port. Currently, the Belfast to Dublin section has TEN-T status, but critically that does not continue to Rosslare Europort.

As Members are aware, 80% of the volume of goods leaving Ireland for the Continent use the UK landbridge. In almost all scenarios of Brexit, this landbridge will be lost or significantly restricted or will become financially unviable. Tariffs, quotas, customs checks and tolls will all significantly hinder the route via the UK landbridge. Our freight and road hauliers will need alternative access to the Continent especially for agrifood, perishable goods and pharmaceuticals. These should not only be for the goods that are currently supporting our jobs but also to help gain access to new markets.

There must also be an alternative to Dublin Port. Not a day goes by when this Chamber does not hear of the traffic chaos in Dublin and on the M50 but the only plan in the event of a hard Brexit seems to be to load everything through Dublin city into Dublin Port. We see no plans to develop Rosslare as an alternative. Rosslare Europort, which makes a profit of €2.5 million profit per annum, is owned by Iarnród Éireann, which sees it as little more than a cash cow to be milked dry. Instead of reinvesting the profits into the port, they are withdrawn to subsidise other parts of Iarnród Éireann. Rosslare Europort needs to be designated with tier 1 status. It must be taken from Iarnród Éireann and put into ownership of a stand-alone company. The railway line south of Dublin should be designated with TEN-T status to ensure the port and the railway lines are viable. We need to do this in the interest of the entire country to soften the impact of Brexit, protect jobs and open new markets. The opportunity and potential are there but where is the will of the Government to make it happen? Only recently, the Secretary General of the EU Commission, Martin Selmayr, told MEPs that he was developing funding for an alternative shipping route to the Continent in order that Ireland can have access to the northern ports. That must be investigated and introduced. However, in terms of roll on-roll off, RoRo, ferries and haulage to the Continent, Rosslare is the only game in town.

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