Seanad debates
Thursday, 5 December 2002
National Spatial Strategy: Statements.
Included in this is the development of a rail network. I support the Leas-Chathaoirleach on this. He also takes the broader view that it involves not just the line to Ballybrophy but all of them. We need creative thinking in Government and courageous leadership in politics. It can be argued that certain rail lines will never make money. There are two errors in that argument. First of all, it does not take into consideration the displacement costs involved in putting people back on to the roads from the railways. Also, it does not take account of what would happen if we invested in the railway, created a market for it and marketed it. Nobody would drive from Sligo to Dublin if they had a proper train service which left every hour. That should be part of any spatial strategy.
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