Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will leave a bit of time as the Minister might update me on the Navan rail line. Twelve months ago, we were all elected to the Thirty-third Dáil. During my campaign, one of the biggest issues to arise was the Navan rail line. Navan is the largest town in Ireland not serviced by rail. We have always maintained that the re-establishment of the Navan rail line must be a priority for whoever is in government. We were supported in this not only by our own voters but also by Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party, which all said during the election campaign that they would deliver the Navan rail line. Meath County Council has made it a major part of its new county development plan as it is so important to the future success of the county. I thank the councillors, of all parties and none, and the council officials in Meath for their total support for this project.

As the Minister knows, well over 200,000 people live in County Meath. More people leave Meath to go to work than from any other county in the country. The rail project will benefit so many, create jobs and benefit local businesses, and it will be a great asset to commuters. It will have a considerable impact on our environment, taking thousands of cars off the road every day. Many who choose to travel by public transport in County Meath spend many hours of their day waiting on buses, if they are on time or if they are not already full, in order to begin travelling and sit in backed-up traffic before eventually getting to work. They do their day's work and then face the agonising journey home. For some of the affected families, commuting means that the only time they get with their kids is at the weekends. The quality of life is very poor or non-existent.

At the minute, we have reviews of the national development plan and the greater Dublin area transport strategy and a reassessment of the Navan rail line project. We have enough reviews in County Meath. Will rail line infrastructure be prioritised? If so, how much additional funding will there be? Will Deputy Eamon Ryan, as Minister for Transport, prioritise the Navan rail line and deliver it? This year, 2021, is European Year of Rail. There has never been a better opportunity to connect all our regions through investment in our national railways. Meath has been left behind by successive Governments. The Minister can bring us up to speed by delivering the Navan rail line for the people of Meath.

I thank the Minister for engaging with our party spokesperson, Deputy O'Rourke, on this project so far. I hope he will keep the line of communication open. I acknowledge the Minister is in favour of the Navan rail line. Could he give me an update? Will he prioritise the rail line and deliver it in the lifetime of the Government?

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