Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

The Minister of State proposes to insert a new section for, I have no doubt, very good reasons. However, this area will open up the issue of control between local authorities and Iarnród Éireann. For a long time local authorities and Iarnród Éireann have been slow to co-operate. The buck has been passed back and forth from one to the other. This situation has bedevilled railway works, including widening level crossings and improving bridges. In addition, each side blamed the other for the delays.

In the case of this amendment — which, I presume, refers to lorries hitting bridges or level crossings and thus putting the railway line out of action — if damage is done to a railway bridge, will it be the responsibility of the local authority, Iarnród Éireann or both to put it right? Will we revert to square one where the matter goes back and forth from one group of solicitors to another? I have witnessed delays in many small projects which would have improved the lives of many people. For example, minor adjustments could have been made to level crossings but Iarnród Éireann ruled them out on safety or legal grounds so local authorities could not carry out the work or vice versa. One side was always blaming the other. I hope that in this case we will not have a similar situation concerning works that must be carried out. The Minister of State should be more specific as regards this amendment, stating by whom such works will be carried out, so that the local authority or Iarnród Éireann will be responsible for them, rather than both having that responsibility.