Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

There is a huge amount of goodwill out there but there is a reluctance because Iarnród Éireann simply has not delivered. It is an inept and incompetent company, an abysmal failure.

It is incredible that we are debating this motion. It is ten years into the life of the Celtic tiger and we have seen unprecedented growth in the volume of commercial and domestic traffic. Juggernauts traverse roads – even minor ones – throughout the country. We are discussing the proposal by the State rail monopoly to close its rail freight sector. It is mind boggling and bewildering. The rest of Europe is transferring huge volumes of freight from road to rail, but our State company decides to close the entire sector with the loss of 330 jobs. It should be a massive profit earner rather than a huge loss maker, but it is an abysmal failure.

The company is a loss maker because it is manifestly incompetent. It is robbing Peter to pay Paul on the Claremorris-Athenry line and this is typical of its ineptitude. Sections of railway track and cross-overs are being ripped up to be used on the Dublin-Galway line. It is doing so to enhance the mini-CTC signalling system. It is mind boggling and indefensible. It is incomprehensible that this should be done before the completion of the strategic rail review due this month.

It is indefensible because the line on which this is being done has huge potential. The Minister is a Galwegian and I regularly travel to Galway. The tailback once went only as far as the first roundabout. It then stretched to Castlegar, then Claregalway and now stretches ten miles out the Tuam road by 7 a.m. Many people from Mayo and Roscommon work in Galway and there are students who cannot get accommodation. The railway line that runs from Sligo, through Claremorris, Tuam, Athenry to Galway is defunct and is now being ripped up. A mere €200 million would provide a fast track service from Claremorris to Galway and would bring hundreds of commuters to the heart of Galway in 45 minutes, but the vision is not there. This is a fraction of what is being spent on building the concentric roads which, it is hoped, will sort out the traffic problems in this city.