Senator Cummins has had a long association with Waterford Port which is used by some of the biggest shipping lines in the world. They have encountered difficulties akin to those described by Senator O'Meara in trying to get Iarnród Éireann to respond to their requirements. A company which requested that Iarnród Éireann provide for long-distance freight traffic from Ballina to the port, which is ideal for transport by rail, was not impressed by the response of the operator, which did not reflect the attractiveness of the proposition or its importance.