Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

I welcome the all-island strategic rail review. It is a vital step towards connecting the unconnected throughout the country. Ultimately, however, it is a missed opportunity because it is not ambitious enough. Even if it were fully implemented, the review would still leave us behind the Ireland of 1906. It is not often that we look back at the country 100 years ago and say, "Jesus, if we were only there now with all those railway lines and rail services." That fact alone is damning.

Fermanagh has been entirely excluded from the review, Donegal is barely included and towns with a population of under 10,000 are ignored. This really limits future growth and opportunity. It is shocking that there is no mention of coastal erosion in this document. We are developing a 25-year plan while ignoring the rising sea. Abandoned lines like Claremorris-Sligo are being left untouched. One of the biggest issues is that the plan has no deadlines, urgency, ambition or accountability. We need a transport system that meets climate targets and serves communities, and we needed it yesterday.

This is not just about having rail in place. It is also about the experience of using it. I have contacted the Minister on this because it is not just about where the train goes but what it is like to be on that train. That is why I am calling for quiet carriages on all intercounty trains. These carriages support our neurodiverse passengers and create a calmer space for people with anxiety, PTSD or sensory issues, and they ensure equal access to public transport for all, which is really important. They also serve commuters, patients, students and remote workers - anyone who needs a bit of quiet space to rest or work in peace. They make travel time more productive, reduce stress and support the flexible workforce. It is a low-cost, simple measure that could be put in place, and is already in place on the Cork-Dublin line, on which it works very well.

When I contacted the Minister, and I am not sure if it was the Minister of State or the line Minister who responded, apparently they are not going to be rolled out across all lines. They are being considered for the Dublin to Belfast route. However, there are no plans to expand quiet carriages beyond that because of capacity concerns. Instead, passengers with sensory issues are being offered a pair of sunglasses, headphones and a fidget spinner. That is not inclusion; that is tokenism. Where we could quite simply roll out these sensory carriages, I ask the Minister to look into it. That is the least commuters deserve.

I will take a moment to talk about my own constituency of Wicklow. It has been raised here already but the train services in Wicklow are beyond bad. We have seen improvements year after year on all the other routes but for some reason, despite Wicklow's increased population and the fact so many people commute, we still have a single line and only six trains going from Wicklow town to the city. It is not acceptable. There have been promises of a battery electric DART to Wicklow town. Previous Ministers said that was going to happen in 2025, but then it was 2026. It is now targeted for 2029. At the same time, carriages that could have been applied to that Wicklow line have been set aside and are going to Drogheda. When that system and those carriages go to Drogheda, it is making an already good line even better. Whereas Wicklow, which has an incredibly poor line with absolutely insufficient rail services, should be brought up to some level of standard. That should have been the priority and not an already well-serviced and functioning line. I ask the Minister to look into that because people need to have proper rail services available to them.

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