Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 3: To ask the Minister for Transport the additional resources he has given to CIE to repair the viaduct at Malahide, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39932/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Earlier this year, my Department allocated €404 million to Iarnród Éireann for investment in the development of the rail network and railway safety. Of this, €90 million was allocated to the railway safety programme.

As is normal for a programme of the range and complexity of the public transport capital programme, a number of adjustments were made during the year and an additional €2 million was allocated to Iarnród Éireann in July, followed by an additional €7 million in September, arising from other areas of the programme where spending was lower than expected. In addition, Iarnród Éireann was able to re-allocate funding to the railway safety programme from adjustments to its own investment programme such as revisions to the payment schedule for new rolling stock.

These re-allocations allowed an increase in the Exchequer provision for railway safety to €107 million for the current year. Iarnród Éireann undertook the repair of the Malahide viaduct from within this increased provision. The total estimated cost of repairing the viaduct itself will be in the order of €4.5 million to €5 million.

I understand from Iarnród Éireann that it will be in a position to re-open the line later this month once approval is received from the Railway Safety Commission. I welcome the speedy re-instatement of the viaduct.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Issues arise from the accident at Malahide, where 20 m of railway line fell into the sea. I am thankful that due to the action of Keith Farrelly, the train driver who spotted the collapse of the tracks, hundreds of people did not face their death in over 3 m of water. This is a fact and everybody acknowledges it.

Were it not for the sea scouts, nobody would have walked the line at all. Evidence has shown that for ten days prior to the collapse, the line was not walked, as required, three times per week. Following the call from the sea scouts, the engineer who examined the scene looked at the track only but did not examine the structure at the base of the viaduct. The photograph the sea scouts show depicts them on the water at the base of the viaduct supports. Iarnród Éireann never examined these in the week in question, notwithstanding the fact that a track movement detection vehicle passed over the viaduct the day before the accident. I am deeply concerned about the standards in Iarnród Éireann in this regard. I challenge the Minister to challenge Iarnród Éireann on this issue. It is a very serious matter.

It is not acceptable that the accident happened in the way it did when significant issues were raised by the sea scouts. It is not acceptable that the engineer did not look at the structures underneath the track and that the track was not walked at all, as required.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Deputy that safety must be of paramount importance. The safety procedures in place should be adhered to at all times by Iarnród Éireann and the rest of the companies in the CIE group. I share the Deputy's concern in this regard but I know from speaking to Iarnród Éireann officials that the track movement recording vehicle passed over the viaduct the day before the incident and recorded very good track alignment and no evidence of subsidence, as the Deputy acknowledged. It is very doubtful that anybody walking the track would have been able to find such evidence.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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That is not the point.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree. If there are checks to be carried out, they should be carried out. I do not want to say very much more about this until the Railway Safety Commission makes its findings known and we have all the facts. However, I share the Deputy's concern.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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In 2006, a review of railway safety and the role and function of the Railway Safety Commission pointed out that there were significant issues still outstanding, notwithstanding the reports in the years 1998, 2000 and 2001. Page 8 of the review states a programme of thorough inspections of Iarnród Éireann's structures should be commenced by the company. What Iarnród Éireann is saying, as acknowledged generally, is that the base of the viaduct was scoured. However, the report states, "However, based on interviews at Divisional level, there does not-----

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy may refer to the report but may not quote it.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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The report, produced by Arthur D. Little in 2006, states the scour safety management systems were not in place. It states it was a serious issue that was not being addressed adequately by Iarnród Éireann. There is a systems failure. Some €1.1 billion was invested in Iarnród Éireann and other CIE companies over recent years, yet the companies did not address significant safety issues that were pointed out in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2006.

We are very lucky people were not killed at Malahide. The Minister is not doing the job he should be doing. He should be holding those responsible to account but this is not happening.

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The role of the Minister in this matter is to ensure that legislation is in place and that finance is available to implement the railway safety programme. The first railway safety programme, which covered the period 1999 to 2003, benefited from an investment of €600 million. Four hundred miles of track were renewed and 220 miles of fencing was erected. From 2004 to 2008, the total investment was €512 million. In this case, 134 miles of track were renewed and work was completed on 429 miles of fencing. The safety culture and safety management systems of Iarnród Éireann were enhanced completely.

A total of €513 million has been targeted for the third railway safety programme, which started in 2009. A total of €443 million of the funding is for infrastructural investment and €70 million is for the continued enhancement of safety management systems. The matter has been dealt with by me from the point of view of the legislation and finance. The Railway Safety Commission will make its investigation and it will report. Anything that arises as a result of that will be pursued by me.