Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to start by thanking Sinn Féin for the motion. I will zone in on two aspects that have already been mentioned, namely, the rural-proofing of all policies and budgets, which we have sought for years and the delivery of the western rail corridor extension to Mayo as a key infrastructure project for regional development.

There are two reports in this regard, namely, one by EY entitled, The Western Rail Corridor: Financial and Economic Appraisal, followed by a very detailed report by Dr. John Bradley, The Atlantic Railway Corridor – The Galway-Mayo Rail Link: An Appraisal. Both are worth reading. The first was commissioned by Iarnród Éireann followed by a peer review and that was followed by Dr. Bradley's detailed report that sets out the differences and the issues between the two reports. What is not at issue the need for the western rail corridor, as set out in a number of policies that have already been clearly set out by Deputy Canney. I will mention one point quoting the regional spatial and economic strategy, which observed that “The Western Rail Corridor is of strategic importance as it represents a piece of key enabling and sustainable transport infrastructure for the region". I am looking at a report where it finds that the business case does not justify it and it fails to tie it in with policies. I do not see it quoted anywhere in the report that it is of a strategic nature and it is essential. There are a number of interesting things about Dr. Bradley's report. He dedicates it to "Dr. Micheál Mac Gréil, SJ, ar ócáid a nóchadú breithlá" - we all know who Dr. Mac Gréil is - on his 90th birthday, and who, Dr. Bradley says, fought so long and so hard for the development of the west. The Minister of State came in here tonight and her speech took issue with our statement of the fact that we have ignored rural Ireland. She said that is not true. I am afraid it is true. We see it in that dedication to that priest and sociologist, and onward with the groups on the ground who have all fought to have sustainable development in the west of Ireland. We have utterly failed to do that. We have many good policies which I could not argue with. It is the implementation of them that has a lot to be desired. Another interesting thing about Dr. Bradley's report is his mention of Alexander Nimmo and his works in Ireland. We all know who Alexander Nimmo is and we are certainly very familiar with him in Galway in both the city and the county. Nimmo's Pier is a stone's throw from where I live. When there was no money in Ireland, and he was given instructions to have minor works, he ignored the instructions and went for a massive public infrastructure programme, which has stood the test of time. Nimmo's Pier is still there in Galway among many other piers, houses and so on. That was at a time when we had nothing.

If we have struggled to put the west on the map it is all the more important now with climate change and the biodiversity emergency. The Government will hear this over and over again because we have to make words mean something and we have to allow sustainable development in the west of Ireland to take the pressures off the cities. I am all for one who wants to develop Galway city, but in a sustainable way. When she was here, the Minister of State utterly failed to say that we have no park-and-ride in Galway even though it is in the development plan since 2005, we have no feasibility study on light rail. I heard Deputy Barry talk about Cork. We have 24,000 signatures from many years ago begging the Government to carry out a feasibility study. In the context of tonight's motion, I would point the Minister of State towards Dr. Bradley's research. He sets out the differences between the two reports and the cost analysis. He said there was a very strong business case for re-opening the railway from Galway to Mayo. He set out the differences between the two reports. I am running out of time to go into them but capital costs was one of the main arguments. His report takes that apart. There is also time saving. Dr. Bradley also said the EY report is full of errors, and not only typographical errors. He was not even negative about it, he just highlighted it. He said he was giving a fresh appraisal of this project because it is absolutely essential in the context of climate change and of Brexit, that we would have balanced regional development. It makes absolute sense to have a railway running from Galway up to Mayo and beyond if we are seriously interested in our commitments under law, in relation to climate, and in relation to balanced regional development.

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