Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy MacSharry for raising what is a serious issue. I can assure him that Iarnród Éireann and the National Transport Authority, NTA, have my full support as they seek to improve capacity and increase services on the rail network. That support is evidenced by the increased funding made available in recent years and the increased investment planned in the coming years. Equally, I assume I have the Deputy's full support and that of everyone in the House in ensuring that proposals to spend massive amounts of money are properly considered. Nobody should consider it to be a burden, as the Deputy has alleged. It is instead a duty on all of us, as public representatives, to ensure the taxpayer is protected. I agree that scrutiny and oversight must be proportionate. However, it must occur.

In recent months, as the Deputy probably knows, I have secured Government approval for the development a new national train control centre and the purchase of 41 additional rail carriages for the greater Dublin area. Together, that represents an investment of approximately €285 million in the rail network and is no doubt welcomed by everyone in this House who is worried about commuters, as I know the Deputy genuinely is, as coming from where he is he has reason to be so worried.

Individually, each of those projects costs over €100 million and therefore each was, of course, subject to scrutiny in line with the requirements of the public spending code. Let me assure the Deputy that there was no undue delay or administrative burden associated with either project. Nor will I apologise for ensuring appropriate oversight of hundreds of millions of euro, or indeed apologise for complying with Government guidelines. In the coming years Project Ireland 2040 commits billions of euro towards sustainable mobility. I can assure the taxpayer that my Department takes its responsibilities with regard to the oversight of expenditure very seriously.

Given the sums of money involved, I would expect all of us in the House to take those responsibilities seriously too. I will shortly seek Government approval for a €1 billion investment in our heavy rail network over the next five years. This investment programme will deliver better journey times, improved reliability and continued safety across the network. It represents an approximate 40% increase in funding as compared to the last five year programme over 2014 to 2018 and is hugely significant.

Next year I expect to receive a business case in relation to what the Deputy refers to as the DART expansion programme, which is a multi-billion euro programme, to increase massively the rail network and services across the greater Dublin area.

Each of these investment programmes will be properly assessed. That is required under the public spending code, but importantly it is also the right thing to do.

On the most recent decision to expand the commuter rail fleet in the greater Dublin area, the Deputy may wish to be aware that the business case was originally submitted at the end of August, with a final version submitted on 24 September and Government approval secured on 30 October. There no undue delay nor was there any unnecessary administrative burden. I welcome the fact these new carriages are on their way and I look forward to their entry into service.

The Deputy refers to the commuter misery crisis, which continues to deteriorate. I have listed some of the things that the Government is doing in the short, medium and long term to relieve a critical situation, which we all agree is not entirely satisfactory. It is being seriously tackled and I do not want to trivialise it in anyway in this House this evening.

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