Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)

We must do far better for the people of Wicklow and Wexford. For years, I have raised the issue of the inadequate rail network in these counties, including most recently last week at a meeting in Buswells Hotel with representatives of Iarnród Éireann. My hopes were briefly lifted with the all-Ireland strategic rail review when the Wicklow and Wexford rail line was mentioned. However, unfortunately, this optimism was very short lived. The report suggests that solutions for this vital region on the east coast and in the south east would be "costly and ... unlikely to be justifiable". According to the review, the rail line could not be expected to have more than one or two trains per hour in each direction. How can we accept such a conclusion when over 4,000 people are crossing the Wexford-Wicklow border on their commute every morning?

In the region that contains Carlow and Kilkenny, 46% of students and 69% of workers commute to Dublin. These are real people. They are workers, students and families who struggle through gridlock every morning and evening. They rely on a transportation system that fails to meet their needs. Only 11% of them are using public transport, including coastal rail and bus services. A staggering 70% are forced to use their cars. Is this the future we want for our communities and for the island of Ireland?

In 2021, it was reported that we need to reduce car journeys by half a million per day under the Government's climate action plan. In 2019, Irish Rail announced 41 new carriages but not one for the Wexford-Wicklow area. If you live in Gorey, there are only six services per day and the latest leaving Dublin for Wexford is just after 6.30 p.m. There are trains from Arklow at 6.03 a.m. and 6.57 a.m. They are full by the time they reach Wicklow town. We wonder why only 11% of people use this service and we have gridlock on the M11 every day. I experienced it this morning.

If we are serious about reducing car dependency and protecting the environment, we need to commit to investing in the rail network. Wicklow and Wexford are beautiful counties that hold immense potential. They connect the capital to the gateway to Europe, which is Rosslare Europort. The port is currently expanding due to the evolving trade arrangements between Ireland, the UK and the EU. The two counties have a population of over 300,000.

We are at a pivotal moment. This is our chance to transform the role of rail along the beautiful east coast of Ireland. Enhanced rail connectivity would not only improve people's quality of life because they are not fighting traffic gridlock every morning but would also boost tourism and benefit the environment. The time to act on the Wicklow-Wexford rail line is now. Let us invest in the Dublin to Rosslare rail line and leave a legacy for future generations. I will leave the Minister of State to ponder those points. I hope he can have an input.

See this speech in context