Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I am pleased that the emphasis has been on safety and on the improvements in safety over the past few years. Like many other people, I am bitterly disappointed in the way Iarnród Éireann has scaled down freight activities. It has obviously scaled down for economic reasons, but what disappoints me is the lack of incentive for companies to go into rail freight. I come from Foynes and in the past there was a traditional railway line operating from Limerick to Foynes. There was a very effective service for the Mogul mining company, where the ore and other deposits were transported to Foynes by rail. It made economic sense to bring this material from the different locations and it also took heavy trucks off the busy N21.

In recent times, there have been mining activities in Lisheen and in Galmoy and those mines are not very far from a railway line. The company states that it is cheaper to transport goods by road, which may be true, but there is much pressure put on our road network by heavy trucks and that is disappointing. Such restrictions should be built into the planning conditions, which are quite onerous for mining operations. There should be some incentive or encouragement for companies to use rail so the pressure can be taken off roads. It is a far more sustainable way to transport the ore. The line in Foynes has been lying idle as there is no longer any great transport activity.

The recent announcement on rail transport and rail services shows the lack of foresight in the past when railway lines were closed. I now live in Newcastle West, which is thought to be one of the fastest expanding towns in Europe. It has become a dormitory town for many industries in the surrounding area.