Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for Transport the improved transport links he intends to put in place in the Shannon region to improve access routes to Shannon Airport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36018/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Transport 21 is primarily about connectivity. As the Deputy will be aware, there has been substantial investment in recent years in upgrading the national roads network in the Limerick, Shannon and Ennis region. Major projects completed include the Limerick southern ring road, phase 1, the N20 and N21 Adare-Limerick and N18 Newmarket-on-Fergus bypass. The N19 to Shannon has also been upgraded. These projects have greatly enhanced the access from Limerick city and its hinterland to Shannon Airport.

Transport 21 will go much further and widen this access to the surrounding cities and regions by upgrading the transport links between Limerick and its neighbouring cities, towns and regions, thereby further enhancing access to Shannon Airport. In particular, the completion of the major inter-urban motorway programme under Transport 21 will provide a motorway between Limerick and Dublin, as well as linking other towns such as Nenagh, Roscrea and Portlaoise with Limerick by motorway. The development of the Atlantic corridor and the upgrading of the N24 will result in greatly improved road connections between Limerick, Cork, Galway, Sligo and Waterford as well as improving links between Limerick and intermediate towns such as Mallow, Tipperary and Tuam. The upgrading of other key national primary routes such as the N21 and N22, and of national secondary routes such as the N67, N68, N69 and N85, will facilitate easier accessibility to Shannon Airport from towns such as Tralee, Killarney and the coastal towns of Clare.

Transport 21 provides for the phased reopening of the western rail corridor. In addition, a study on a rail link from the Limerick-Ennis line to Shannon Airport is also being carried out to assess the feasibility of linking the airport by rail to the cities of Limerick, Galway and beyond. Hourly peak and two hourly off-peak rail services will be introduced on the Limerick-Dublin route once new rail cars on order enter into service.

The improved transport network under Transport 21 will facilitate easier access to Shannon Airport by providing greater connectivity between Limerick city and other cities, towns and regions. Transport 21 will widen the catchment area of Shannon Airport and provide more direct, more reliable, and quicker access directly to Shannon and Shannon Airport.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Listening to the Minister's list, one would think Shannon was going to be the centre of the universe as a result of all the roads that will be built. The reality is that Shannon is facing an extremely difficult challenge in the coming year.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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As the Deputy has just one minute, she should ask a question.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Atlantic corridor, which was supposed to open up the whole western seaboard and which is essential to Shannon if it is to prosper, has no timeframe. There is no start or finish date. The western railway will go nowhere near Shannon. It is unbelievable to build a railway in the west and not connect it to the major international airport. A feasibility study is even worse than the kiss of death. It is a kiss of a long lingering death because nothing happens.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy's time has concluded.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister give a commitment to the west, at least in terms of transport infrastructure? Will he carry out an impact study to determine how to prioritise future investment to ensure that Shannon will survive as a major international airport serving the rest of Ireland and that the pull towards Dublin does not continue?

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputy must give way because other Members are offering and I would like to facilitate them, if possible.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I agree that Shannon faces many challenges but I do not agree that there is not sufficient focus; there is a massive focus in Transport 21 on infrastructural development for Shannon. Work is well under way on the Atlantic corridor, as the Deputy well knows, and it will be complete in its entirety within the ten-year framework of Transport 21.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It does not state that anywhere in the Minister's one-page plan.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy can take it from me that is what it means. Ten years in anyone's language means ten years for total completion.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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It is 25 years in Fianna Fáil language.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is not in my language.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister does not speak Fianna Fáil's language.

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I accept that there are challenges for Shannon but Cork sees the future in a positive way, with all sorts of benefits accruing in international airspace. Knock sees it the same way and welcomes open skies. Those airports are confident about the opportunities presented by open skies. Shannon is in pole position, so it has an even greater opportunity than airports that are less well known internationally.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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God be with the days when we had Fianna Fáil Deputies from the west with some backbone.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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That is not a question. I will have to move on to the next question.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Ministers of State, Deputies de Valera and Killeen, would run out on to the plinth and stand up for the region but now they have been silenced.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is not true; it is a load of rubbish. Fianna Fáil has delivered for the west.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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They have been incarcerated in State cars.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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We delivered for Knock, Shannon, Dublin and the whole bloody shooting gallery.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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The Minister referred to the feasibility study in Transport 21 for important access routes to Shannon. When will that be completed?

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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A feasibility study is being done on the connection to Shannon. It is extraordinary that both Deputies, who, along with their party leaders, seek value for money every day, would suggest that we should put a rail link in place without any economic assessment of the value for money on behalf of the taxpayer.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Is there a timeframe for it?

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Broughan must be embarrassed by the public transport record of his party.

Rory O'Hanlon (Cavan-Monaghan, Ceann Comhairle)
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I ask the Minister of State to allow questions to proceed in an orderly fashion. Deputy Cowley is waiting and we would like, if possible, to reach his question.