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

I agree with the Deputy that part of this transformation has to be the development of rail services in our cities of Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick to be counterbalances to the excessive reliance on development on the east coast and in the Dublin region.

It is important that we invest in the rail services of those cities so that they have centres of scale that can be counterweights to the greater Dublin area. I agree with that. That is why, yesterday, Government announced a significant and important decision on the investment of €170 million in Waterford to improve the rail service and put in a new sustainability bridge. That is why we are investing. The first top-line of our Recovery and Resilience Facility funding from the EU went to metropolitan rail services in Cork. That is why we are starting the process of reopening the Shannon Foynes line and committing, in the pathfinder projects, to put in new stations in the likes of Moyross to give communities these new services. I agree with the Deputy that Galway and the west has to be part of that as well. He mentioned the passing loop in Oranmore. There is also potential for further improvements to be made around Céannt Station and for double tracking and improving the overall level of service, particularly from the likes of Athenry or Athlone into Galway, so that people can commute by rail rather than by car, which is the curse of Galway's transport system at the present time. There is no restriction to the political side-----

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