Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate the Minister of State coming to take this Topical Issue. I am not sure if in his earlier answer he was committing to bringing the Luas to the Wicklow-Wexford constituency but if he can, I will welcome it. We will welcome any improvement to rail services. I deeply love where I come from. We have some of the best beaches in the country and wonderful community life in all our towns and rural areas but many people have to commute to work or college. Part of that is due to the continued failure of the IDA to arrange for visits to the Wicklow-Wexford constituency. A lot of people are commuting out of our communities. Primarily, they travel to Dublin. Based on CSO statistics, 2,170 people commute from Gorey from Gorey daily for work purposes, from Arklow, 2,723, from Courtown, 1,050 and from Rathdrum, 544. That is 6,500 people commuting primarily along the M11 to Dublin every day for work purposes. For those who have to commute an hour or more to get to either their place of work or study every day - significant numbers go to Dublin for study - as a proportion of the overall numbers moving, in Gorey, it is 19.2%, in Arklow, it is 17.6%, in Rathdrum, it is 23.8% and in Courtown-Riverchapel, it is 25.1%. We have a significant commuting population. What is the State's response to that?

There is an increasingly clogged M11. If I wanted to ensure I was here for 9 a.m. on most mornings, I would have to leave Gorey at 6 a.m. Having been a commuter even during the height of the Celtic tiger, it never had to be as early. If the weather is bad - the Ceann Comhairle knows this - or there is an incident along the M11, it is impossible. Part of this is due to varying speed limits along the M11. I am a great believer in public transport. There is a good service provided by Wexford Bus and most of the time by Bus Éireann Expressway, although I am concerned at reports it is considering the service. We do not have a realistic rail alternative. From Gorey, Arklow and Rathdrum, there are only six daily rail services. For towns equidistant from the capital such as Carlow, there are 11 services, from Drogheda or Dundalk, there are 16 and from Portlaoise there are 32. When I posed a question to Irish Rail, even though there are plans to extend to the DART to Wicklow, on what plans it had for the rail service south of Wicklow town, which would service Rathdrum, Arklow and Gorey, it only answered what it is doing in terms of the DART extension. When it comes to rolling stock, the last bits of rolling stock are provided to the Rosslare rail line. There is no realistic alternative. We have 6,500 or more people every day travelling for the most on the M11 and yet there seems to be no plan from the Government or the Department of Transport to alleviate the challenges they face.

See this speech in context