Joanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)

There are many things I could speak about under this Private Members' business but I will stick to trains. Public transport will play a major role in the development of our regions. People must be able to work, live and commute from all over the country and that is why Sinn Féin is determined to deliver major rail projects that have stalled, fallen by the wayside, been left in a Minister's desk drawer or gone hugely over budget. The all-island strategic rail review includes the electrification of the line, new lines to Clongriffin in Dublin and an extension of the DART to Drogheda. While I remain sceptical of a positive impact on commute times when the DART comes to Drogheda, I will wait in hope that it happens.

Government policies have made Drogheda a commuter town and commuters need a new train station on the north side of the town. Almost 20 years ago, a proposed train station was included in the Drogheda northern environs plan. The plan foresaw a huge rise in the population of Drogheda and the need for a train station on the north side. The proposed site of the train station was in housing brochures. Commuters eagerly bought houses that were highly valued because they would be so close to the train station but this changed when Iarnród Éireann said it had no plans to proceed. The north side of Drogheda is getting an extra 20,000 people along the port access-northern cross route over the next five years. The centre of town is choked with traffic around the current train station on the south side. A new IDA business park is being developed on the north side. Drogheda United is developing a new stadium along the port access-northern cross route. All of this could be served by a north-side train station. The land at Aston Village that was originally earmarked is still owned by Iarnród Éireann and this is where the train station should go. For Drogheda to reach its full potential, the long-awaited north-side train station is crucial and no obstacle is insurmountable if the Government really wants to deliver it. I ask that the Minister of State take that on board this morning.

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