Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister very much. I was always very struck by the Minister when in opposition, and when I was also an opposition Member, because he always admired the ambition that I had for that rail line coming to a county along the Border in Cavan. If one looks at the map of Ireland and looks to see where the main arteries and infrastructure is, one can draw a line from Dublin to Galway. North of that we have, as a State, neglected that part of this island. I am very hopeful for this project with this Minister in post. I am aware Meath County Council is doing terrific work in ensuring that the rail line comes to Navan. We need to be ambitious for the whole Border region and to start to look at that.

Great work has been done with the greenway on the existing rail line that is there but alongside that, we need to have the ambition and to encourage our local authorities to do this, with the support of the Minister's Department in the relevant areas, to ensure they have this kind of ambition and these kinds of plans are put in place.

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