Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the answer. I am happy to hear him expand on the vision for rail freight and for rail in general. It is a very coherent and important vision for us to follow. It chimes incredibly well with the policy agenda and ambition of the Government. It is generally shared these days across the political spectrum.

I was happy to hear the Minister mention the potential of the south east. Our colleague, Deputy Ó Cathasaigh, will certainly welcome the Minister's words on Wexford to Waterford line.

I want to mention the situation at Dublin Port. I understand there is a plan to move the rail freight operation back from the quay. This could be a retrograde step. A number of people have expressed concerns about it and have said it could impact the future of rail freight in this country if that happens. All our ports should have enabling rail right up to the quayside so that there can be a load on load off facility. That is true of Dublin Port. Rosslare is a similar example, where rail was pulled back from the quayside there a number of years ago.

I am happy to hear the Minister mention the Limerick network. Limerick city is unique in the Irish context as a regional city because it has four rail lines going in and out of it. We need to think about Limerick differently to how we think about Waterford, Cork and Galway because it has infrastructure that if we were to build is from scratch would cost billions of euro and probably would not develop. The infrastructure is in place; we need to upgrade and developer it and see it for the asset it is. I look forward to seeing the Moyross train station built under the Pathfinder project in the next number of years. It should be the first of many new suburban rail stations around Limerick and Clare.

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