Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

The all-island strategic rail review, published in July 2024, outlines a comprehensive vision for enhancing the rail system across Ireland and Northern Ireland up to 2050. Recommended in it are additional capacity, faster services, higher frequency, electrification and new routes. These are great except if you live in rural Ireland, where I happen to live. Light rail is to come to Cork city but, for the whole of 128 km down to Ardgroom or 120 km down to Mizen Head, there is not even a sign, never mind a piece of rail. The funny thing is that in 1850, there was a rail line to Schull and I would have been able to walk from the house to hop on the train. Today, there is not even a sign for 120 km or 130 km. The first thing the Minister of State should do is put up a few signs to let people know rail exists in Cork. It comes to Cork city. That there is none in west Cork is not the Minister of State’s fault but that of his predecessors. Unfortunately, in the 1950s and 1960s, somebody came up with a bright idea to pull up the rail line and that was the end of it. The problem we have is that nobody has a vision. West Cork is only one place but I am speaking on behalf of every rural community that does not have light rail. Rural Ireland has an entitlement to have some kind of transport service, at least to bring people to rail services. That is what we are examining. I am involved with this locally. There is no point in my dreaming that rail will come back to Bantry and Schull, where it was in the 1850s, because we seem to have no money now. We had plenty of money then.

We should push very hard to ensure there is at least connectivity of some sort, and a plan. We were slated during the election campaign for saying light rail should be brought to rural communities. The least we should do is put a feasibility plan together and cost it. We know the Minister of State cannot bring light rail down to Castletownbere or Goleen, but he might, in the lifetime of the Government, commit to bringing it to Bandon and having connecting buses to Bandon every morning. He should bring people to Cork city, where there is rail at present; however, for the love of God, he should also put a sign up indicating rail exists and give us some hope that some Minister will decide someday that Cork county needs a bit of rail as well. That is all I am asking of the Minister of State today. I plead with him.

The problem we have is that we have so many issues and worries today that even the roads are an issue. There was a protest outside today, organised by Councillor Ian Neary of Independent Ireland, on the closure of Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow. The protesters were worried about losing their road, never mind rail. Imagine closing a road at this time in Bray, County Wicklow. This issue is of great importance.

I ask the Minister of State to work with us to deliver at least a plan for how to connect to light rail. If light rail is not going to be brought to rural communities, they should at least have bus links to rail. We are not at this point at the moment.

We have very many issues in rural Ireland, including west Cork. In this regard, I am going to raise a certain matter even though I need the Minister of State to talk to other Ministers. CCTV is going to be lost to the people of Skibbereen, Dunmanway and Clonakilty. Today it was switched off. This was an outrageous decision that will lead to a lot of crime, an increase in crime. I had no other opportunity to raise this today. I plead with the Minister of State to speak to the relevant Minister to ensure CCTV will be restored, at least in Clonakilty and Skibbereen.

I plead with the Minister of State to work with us on rail. Independent Ireland has a plan and proposes that communities should at least have connectivity if they have no rail. There should at least be signs and bus connections to every rail link in the country. We genuinely would settle for that as an honest solution to an almighty crisis.

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