Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy. I do not believe the Deputy would expect me to intervene specifically in relation to the Mullingar route. Indeed, he might be the first to criticise me if I did so. If the Deputy has a particular problem with that route, and it appears he has, the appropriate place to go is elsewhere, and he knows that. It would be wrong for me to step in and say that Deputy Troy has made representations and that I want to ensure his particular area is looked after in that way.

Having said that, I sympathise if the passengers in his area are being discommoded by these changes. It would be reasonable for the Deputy to go to the NTA or to Iarnród Éireann to make that case and I hope he has already done so.

As the Deputy can see, the changes that have taken place have not been universally successful in certain areas and further changes have had to be made as a result of what has happened. One of the features of this change in the DART expansion is that the NTA and Iarnród Éireann have been extremely flexible. One of the qualities of a good transport service is that when measures of this sort are introduced, as for example with the Luas, one is prepared to be flexible in the face of passenger movements and changes, and this is what has happened.

My guess is that in the case of Mullingar, which the Deputy mentioned, it will come under the same sort of criteria and scrutiny and will get similar responses to the one regarding Clongriffin and Portmarnock.

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