Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

The people down there are tough characters. That might happen to weak little Dubliners, but hardly to the people in question.

Craven carriages, which have been in service since the 1960s, are occasionally used and weekend services are often augmented by their use. Iarnród Éireann recognises these carriages do not have the same comfort levels, but it has assured the Minister that they are safe for operation. The 67 new inter-city carriages that are on order will begin to enter service in 2005. These new carriages will facilitate the retirement of the older vehicles currently used on inter-city services.

In addition, the entry into service later this year of the 80 diesel railcars, purchased for use on outer suburban routes, will release mark III carriages from those routes for use on inter-city services. This might give some temporary short-term relief. These new railcars will reduce the number of commuting passengers using key inter-city trains and will also be available to supplement inter-city rolling stock on Sundays. The Government is confident that the significant funding being made available to Iarnród Éireann for investment in its infrastructure and rolling stock will improve the safety of the network, increase the passenger capacity of the system and improve the quality, reliability and speed of Iarnród Éireann services.