Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

It is great to have a debate on the all-island strategic rail review. One of the key recommendations of the review is the reopening of the western rail corridor and the consideration of same. The Minister of State has been a strong advocate for the western rail corridor since long before I entered politics in 2019. I commend him on that. I will be doing everything I can as a Fianna Fáil representative for Galway East to ensure that this project gets the funding necessary to be a success and gets the necessary backing in our national development plan to drive forward not just Galway and Mayo, but the western seaboard.

The Minister of State may have heard me on Galway Bay FM last week raising concern around Ballyglunin train station. It is vital that Ballyglunin station be operationalised and considered in any plans for the reopening of the corridor. There is a stretch of about 30 km between Athenry and Tuam and we cannot leave that entire hinterland without rail. If consideration is being given to the western rail corridor, we need to ensure that rail is reopened and Ballyglunin forms a central part of it.

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