Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to address this issue. As most Members are aware, rail services on this line ceased in 2010 under an agreement made between the National Transport Authority and Iarnród Éireann. A number of improvements were made to bus services at the time to ensure continued public transport connectivity. Undoubtedly, some people are fearful that the decision to maintain the Barrow Bridge in the open position means a point of no return as to whether services might ever return again on this closed line. Equally, I do not wish to give false hope regarding the imminent return of services.

The decision to maintain the bridge in an open position is a pragmatic one, based on the fact that the line has now been closed for ten years. While the line has been closed, the port of New Ross remains open and the position of the bridge reflects the need to ensure easy navigational access to the port. I am informed that up until recently there was a requirement for four full-time Iarnród Éireann staff to be on site to open the bridge to allow ships sail to and from the port, which probably strikes most people as a little odd, to say the least.

Ten years after the decision to close the line, a number of revised arrangements have been agreed between the National Transport Authority and Iarnród Éireann relating to the line. These arrangements include obligations to review level crossing surfaces each year, reviewing the boundary protection along the line each year and conducting bridge inspections every two years in line with Iarnród Éireann's technical standards. In addition, the agreement between the NTA and Iarnród Éireann requires a general review of the line to be undertaken annually. The purpose of the review is to assess the overall condition of the line so as to be able to provide a current status assessment of the infrastructure each year. The revised arrangements also provide that the Barrow Bridge be maintained in an open position. This means that the previous requirement for four full-time staff manning the bridge, with no services, is removed. Furthermore, the design of the mechanism is such that it can easily be reversed if rail services resume at some point in the future.

At a practical and pragmatic level, I hope the Deputy can understand the reason behind the decision to maintain the bridge in an open position. At a broader level, I do not doubt the Deputy's wish to see rail services running again on this line. I hope he can see that this decision does not fundamentally run counter to that at some point in the future, if that were to be decided. There are those who wish to develop the route as a greenway and build upon the work already undertaken or under way in the south east to create a cluster of attractive greenways spanning the region.

I trust this clarifies the position regarding the Barrow Bridge.

See this speech in context