Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this issue. People who woke up yesterday morning, particularly those who rely on Irish Rail, and read the lead story by Paul Melia in the Irish Independentwould be concerned and anxious about the potential closure of rail lines. The Taoiseach tried to downplay that yesterday and said the report was two years out of date. That is factually incorrect. This report was given to the Minister with updated data as of November 2017, albeit the third review of the Irish rail network. The Minister sought submissions for the review of the rail network two years ago and my party made one at that time.

We have yet to have a meaningful debate in this House on the future of the Irish rail network. What we do know is that this year, Irish Rail is €43 million below what it needs to maintain the condition of the rail network. Certain rail routes are at absolute capacity; they are bursting at the seams, so to speak. The condition of certain rail tracks is impaired requiring reduced speeds, which means longer journey times.

Earlier today, at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Minister said he wants Irish Rail to be more efficient and more profitable. The simple truth of the matter is that we will not have any new carriages - additional capacity - in Irish Rail for a minimum of 18 months. I refer to the 28 reconditioned carriages that are due for delivery at the end of 2019. To date, funding has not been allocated to order new carriages and even if new carriages were ordered today, we would not see deliver until late 2022. There is insufficient funding for rail tracks. There has been investment in recent years, however, and the opening of the Phoenix Park tunnel in late 2016 demonstrates that where we provide an adequate service and connectivity, passengers will respond.

How does the Minister intend to increase the revenue? How does he intend to increase the number of people using our train lines? How does he intend to reverse the disastrous decisions taken in recent years in terms of under-funding a critical piece of infrastructure? This morning, I was contacted by commuters on the Mullingar to Dublin line. There was no heating on the train despite the fact that the temperature outside was minus 2° Celsius. That will not encourage more people to use the service in question.

First, can the Minister confirm that there will be no rail closures whatsoever? Can he confirm, here and now, how he intends to ensure that we can increase capacity, increase passenger numbers, reduce journey times and increase frequency to attract people to use Irish Rail?

Second, another important point for Irish Rail is the tens of thousands of CIÉ pensioners who are facing huge uncertainty. My colleague, Deputy O'Dea, raised that issue with the Minister in December and was complimented by the Minister for bringing it to his attention.

He was unable to give further answers at that time without engaging again with the board of CIÉ. What action has the Minister taken since and can he update the House in his reply as to how these people who paid into a defined pension scheme can have their legitimate expectations met by CIÉ?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy for raising this very important issue. He has asked me to address the report on the future of the rail network, which I intend to do. The rail review report was undertaken jointly by the National Transport Authority, NTA, and Iarnród Éireann and published in 2016. The NTA then held a public consultation on the published review. The purpose of the review was to look at the existing rail network, identify the funding required both to maintain the network and provide for necessary capital works, and to consider the gap in funding in that regard. The review also examined the potential of the rail network to meet the economic, environmental and social needs of the State in the future and discussed the importance of maintaining a rail network to support strategic sustainable growth in travel demand. The review highlighted the considerable amount of taxpayer support currently provided to the rail network and provided an overview of the estimated additional funding required to support the network over the period 2016 to 2021. While the review identified a funding gap for Irish Rail, which stood at approximately €100 million per annum at the time of publication, I am glad to note that since the report was published, the Government has announced significant additional funding for rail infrastructure and services. As such, the funding requirement is being addressed.

Deputies will be aware that the Government and the taxpayer provide huge levels of support for public transport. Between 2008 and 2016, over €5 billion was made available to the three CIÉ companies across the public service obligation, PSO, and capital investment programmes. Of this, Iarnród Éireann received over €3.7 billion, or nearly 75% of the total Exchequer funding provided in the period. I have previously spoken to Members about how we are increasing our spending on public transport services. The PSO subvention increased in 2016 and 2017 and is increasing further this year. Over the three years, the PSO subvention will have increased by approximately 35% in total. In budget 2017 alone, we allocated over €50 million in additional funding to Irish Rail to bring total funding for that year to over €300 million. This significant increase allowed for greater investment in the maintenance and renewal of the network and rolling stock and provided more money for safety projects.

On the capital side, we announced €2.7 billion of Exchequer investment in budget 2018 to invest in public transport infrastructure and facilities over the next four years. The new national development plan will be published shortly and is a ten-year capital plan that will prioritise key investment actions to protect the quality and value of the existing extensive transport networks and to progress new key capital public transport programmes over the period to 2027.

The public consultation process held by the NTA following the publication of the review helped to begin an informed discussion on the current and future role of rail transport in Ireland. Over 300 submission were received in response to that consultation process. The NTA has prepared a report of those submissions, which it is currently updating to reflect the additional funding made available for rail infrastructure and services in budget 2018. Once I have received and reviewed the NTA's updated report on the consultation process, I intend to bring it to Government for consideration.

As I have said previously, I have no plan regarding the closure of any part of the rail network. The Taoiseach also gave assurances in the Dáil yesterday that there are no plans in that regard. To conclude, the role and potential of rail is linked intrinsically to where people live, work and wish to travel. These very issues form the core of the Government's national planning framework, which is being finalised. The new national planning framework will form an important context for the consideration of issues raised by the rail review report and for any recommendations I may bring to Government in due course.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the increase in funding in the past two years but the Minister must acknowledge that we are coming from a very low base. The plain fact is that this year, Irish Rail is €48 million below what it requires simply to stand still. The Minister referred to the review of the capital plan and what will happen over the next ten years, but what will happen here and now? What will happen those people who have seen new timetables for their services, which show increased journey times due to the condition of tracks that require trains to go slower? What will happen with rail carriages that are bursting at the seams? We will not have any further carriages until, at minimum, late 2019, if it is reconditioned carriages, or 2022 were new carriages to be ordered in the morning. The Minister is not answering that question. Funding is available in the Juncker plan, which is a point I have made to the Minister umpteen times at the Oireachtas transport committee, and CIÉ and the NTA should be making that investment in our rail network. The Minister referred to the national planning framework and he is right that we should be encouraging residential development along existing rail lines. We are not doing it, however, and in any event the existing lines lack any further capacity. What is happening here and now, not in ten years' time?

The Minister failed even to acknowledge the point I made in the last minute and a half of my opening statement. It is a matter Deputy O'Dea raised with the Minister in December 2017. The Minister gave an undertaking to come back to the House having looked into the defined pension scheme for the tens of thousands of people who have paid into it and who have a legitimate expectation of a defined pension. I hope the Minister will take his two-minute reply to answer their concerns.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for addressing these problems again and repeating what he had to say in the first place, partly, I suppose, because he feels I did not answer all of his questions. A lot of what the Deputy says is correct, but the CIÉ group, in particular Iarnród Éireann, is in a better place than it was two or three years ago. Things are improving significantly. Part of that is due to the fact that there is more Government intervention and funding. As a result, we have seen increased passenger numbers. Irish Rail is experiencing business growth with increasing passenger numbers and the introduction of new passenger services. It is not all doom and gloom. While it is difficult, it has always been so because it is, quite rightly, a heavily subsidised organisation.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I asked about new carriages and track improvement.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Last year, passenger numbers on Irish Rail services increased by 6% from 42.8 million to 45.5 million passenger journeys per annum.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am aware of that. I asked specific questions.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The introduction of new passenger services, such as the service through the Phoenix Park tunnel from the Kildare line to the stations between Connolly Station and Grand Canal Dock for commuters, have helped to keep passenger numbers expanding.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I made that point myself.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The planned expansion of DART services to a ten-minute frequency and further enhancements of other commuter services will also help to grow the business further. It is not fair to come in and say things are getting worse when they are improving. They cannot all get better at the same time, but the Deputy is aware-----

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Journey times are getting longer, there are capacity issues on our trains and I asked the Minister to address those two points.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is aware of the great potential and the commitments that will be given in the national development plan. These will include many of the things the Deputy seeks. I ask for a little patience. The CIÉ group of companies is coming out of a very dark place. If we can get them out of that, we will have achieved a great deal for the nation and the travelling public.