Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. If the NTA and Irish Rail can deliver on that second-hand option very quickly, it will be welcome. However, commuters cannot rely on services and are being forced to get earlier trains to get to work on time, leading to overcrowding on trains during peak times. We will have serious problems when commuters start to lose confidence in public transport. In my constituency of Dublin Fingal, necessary and welcome new housing estates are being built in Donabate, Lusk, Rush, Skerries and Balbriggan. Among many other things, the people who buy these houses will be attracted by the fact that they are located near a commuter rail line. At the moment, there is not enough capacity to cope with existing demand. The Minister must urgently provide Irish Rail with the funding for extra carriages and capacity measures. I have raised the fragility of the M1 corridor with him on several occasions. The road and bus network in this corridor has slowed to an absolute crawl, and the M1 cannot take any more. Extra train carriages must be leased immediately to allow for the lead time for delivery. This matter must be treated with the urgency it deserves.

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