Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

The all-island strategic rail review sets out a vision for the development of Ireland's rail system to 2050. It was jointly commissioned by the Department of Transport and the Department for Infrastructure in the North. The review aptly demonstrates the advantage of taking an all-island view, which the Minister of State hinted at. Appropriately enough, it has 32 recommendations. These aim to enhance connectivity across the island, with high-speed trains, an expansion of the rail network, double-track upgrades, new intercity trains and increased frequency. We have all seen that, when new trains are put on, the frequency of use doubles or triples. We hope for a tripling of passengers using the rail system.

For decades, successive short-sighted Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments have systematically dismantled the rail lines and services. Services were run down and then abandoned or ceased. Rural Ireland, particularly in the west and north west, has suffered immensely from this. For example, the northern and western regions rank in the bottom 20 of the EU's 234 regions for transport infrastructure. This is incredible in a modern, progressive country. All this did was strip away some of the essential building blocks of well-connected, efficient and sustainable transport systems. Short-term economic thinking often took priority over long-term infrastructure and planning.

We must not repeat the same mistakes.

Our network is nearly 200 years old and it is an essential strategic asset that must be planned beyond short-term economic cycles. The review is an important step in correcting some of the wrongs of the past and will help us to prepare for a unified Ireland in future. If we get this right, we can benefit all of the people of the island into the next century. We must correct the regional imbalances created by decades of bad planning.

This review could also help to unlock housing along the lines through transport-oriented development. There is also potential for Iarnród Éireann to develop unused sites in town centres for affordable housing, perhaps for their staff or the general public.

It is important to note that a year has passed since the review was first published and it is two years since the draft review was published. It is all well and good to have plans on paper but we must ensure they are put into action.

It is also worth noting the record of Iarnród Éireann under Jim Meade. It is doing a fantastic job and delivering projects on time and on budget. It can continue to do this if the Government gets serious and ensures that the pipeline of projects is sanctioned and resourced effectively. The Minister of State mentioned the western rail corridor. There is no doubt that should be progressed all the way to Sligo as soon as possible. If Iarnród Éireann is given the job, it will do it. We must invest now in Ireland’s future. I implore the Minister of State to ensure there are proper services on the network.

There is only a trolley service on one or two train routes. One cannot get so much as a bottle of water, which is unacceptable in this day and age. I urge the Minister of State to do as much as he can to ensure directly employed staff, ideally, operate such services on all routes.

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