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

I absolutely commit to working with the Deputy. Moyross cannot and will not be a cul-de-sac. We have to give its residents a world-class quality transport system that lifts the area and the whole of Limerick into the future. The Deputy stated that Irish Rail has submitted an application for a rail station in Moyross but in reality there was no such plan included in the first draft of the Limerick metropolitan area strategy for this suburban rail system for Limerick. I believe it has real merit. It is not just in the interests of the people of Moyross. Much of the advantage of this for Limerick is that there is existing rail system infrastructure, with numerous lines into the city which are under-utilised and which could transform the way the city works.

What I am trying to do as Minister for Transport, with the Government, is to see whether we can promote this new vision for how the whole of Limerick works. In particular, I believe it would have significant benefits for the people of Moyross as well as the people of Shannon. In the review of supports for Shannon Airport we committed to provide a suburban rail service from Shannon, through Moyross and into the centre of Limerick and then look to do something similar on the Foynes, Ballybrophy and Limerick Junction lines. I believe that when that works together as a whole it would completely change and improve the transport network for Limerick. It would serve the people of Moyross best if we were able to get agreement on that. I believe we may be able to do so in the very near future and I seek the Deputy's support in that regard. That means we have to get it right in Moyross. One has to consider what exactly that would imply in terms of how we then address the opening up of Moyross and the ending of its current cul-de-sac nature. It is good transport planning to get this right as an integrated whole.

As the Deputy stated, one project does not take from the other. However, one has to consider them together and that is what I am committing to do, along with the people in the community, the local councils and civic actors. Let us not miss this opportunity to set a future for transport in Limerick which is sustainable, social, economically beneficial and lifts the city. It would help to prevent development being vested in Dublin. Rather, development would start to be spread out in line with the national planning framework, particularly and most especially with the installation of the very best infrastructure in those areas that have been most left behind. I believe that would best serve the people of Moyross and that regeneration project which, as the Deputy stated, has been in train for 15 or 17 years. We need to get it absolutely right by putting the best transport infrastructure in place and that is what I hope to do.

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