Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome this study, to which I made a submission. In fact, I also made an input into Fr. McGréil's study on the western corridor 15 or 20 years ago, to which I am sympathetic also. I blame much of the under-investment in the railways on the attitudes of economists and economic institutes, especially those based in Dublin, who during the years were hostile and influenced Government and, to a degree, the European Union in a negative direction.

In the past 15 years, however, there has been growing investment. It first came from the European Union for the Arrow investment and then for the Dublin-Belfast railway. I greatly favour increasing co-operation with the North. Obviously, the next item on the agenda is to strengthen the Dublin-Derry link and in the long term extend it to Letterkenny. The report acknowledges that the railways in Ireland have in recent years experienced a period of investment activity unlike almost any other period in their history. Great credit is due to the former Minister for Public Enterprise, now Leader of the House, the Minister for Transport and the Taoiseach, who is very supportive of the role the railways have to play.