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

I do not have the detail on the exact starting date but am sure it is imminent. The funding has been provided. Given that the starting date is for a study rather than building works, I see no reason it should not be in the immediate future, but I will revert to the Deputy on it.

I mentioned Westmeath County Council in my contribution. It is important that we frame the decision not only as a transport decision but also as a housing decision because it is critical that we get transport-led development and that we know, when putting in new transport infrastructure, that we can put in housing infrastructure with it. It is matter of having the water services, schools and all the other elements in place. The selection of the best spot for a station of the kind in question depends on the council's plans not just for transport but also for housing and all the associated services.

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