The previous Government sold off lands owned by the Department of Defence with the intention of reinvesting the money in the Defence Forces. This proved worthwhile as the Defence Forces invested in modern equipment with it own resources. A similar approach should be taken to the CIE land bank. Ireland was one of the world leaders in rail development in the 19th century. The Cork-Dublin line, 165 miles long, was completed in little more than five years, in the era of the pick and shovel. We have fallen a long way behind the rest of the world since.