Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am reassured by what the Minister has said but it is also important that we focus on the statement that we hear every day in every plan about balanced regional development, given that it is rarely implemented in the west and north west. Recently, the Minister announced an extra four stations on the Luas line at a cost of a few hundred million euro, but what is a few hundred million euro up in Dublin? He also announced the electrification of the Maynooth line, which will cost another few bob. He announced that we would examine the prospect of high-speed rail from Dublin to Belfast, Dublin to Cork and Dublin to Limerick, but there would be nothing for the west.

We can call this the Lazarus line. Actually, it would not be Lazarus, but the guy who was at the gate, could not get food and asked people to send a few bob his way.

According to the figures, Athenry is doing very well because there is a reasonable frequency of trains into town in the morning. In other words, there is a large commuter demand. The population of Tuam is twice Athenry's and the population of Castlebar is three times Athenry's. There are plenty of people in those towns commuting to Galway city. Someone could make it to within approximately ten miles of Galway more quickly by car in the morning, but it is the last three, four, five or six miles that hold people up, depending on the morning. That is where the train scores, as the Minister knows.

It is time for decisions, not talk. We are just looking for a few bob for the west.

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